Justice League: Above and Beyond
by The Sulkier Clown
Summary: After months away training himself to finally let Wonder Woman in, Batman finally returns to the League. But before the two can properly reunite, an old foe returns in a way none could have expected, and none know how to fight. Countless lives are threatened as heroes make a desperate stand for good, for the innocent and for those they love. BMWW SMLL HGGL
1. Prologue: What Brought Us Here

**Prologue: What Brought Us Here**

_**A/N:**_

_Just before we get going here, thought I ought to point out to all newcomers that while this is a sequel, you shouldn't _need _to have read the first one for it to make sense and (hopefully) be a cracking good read. Everything important will be briefly recapped during the story; there'll be nothing you're (deliberately) expected to remember from what's gone before. Of course, I'm still going to recommend reading _"**Justice League: The Shroud of Fear**" _first, as well as its extended epilogue _"**Justice League: Far Away**"_, because I wrote the buggers, but you don't have to if you don't want. To each his/her/its own and all that._

_Anyways, I'll shut up now. Its time to get cracking on!_

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><p>The war had already been waged for a century. War in a place that had known nothing but peace until the invaders had arrived. All the stories of it were true. It really was hell.<p>

That was why they were determined to stop it as quickly as possible. They definitely weren't warriors. In fact, they abhorred violence. But they were smart. They knew that if they wanted to maintain their way of life they had to fight. They had to repel these invaders, who had made it perfectly clear that talking was not an option. Force had to be met with an even stronger force. For that, these peaceful beings would need to develop an aggression of their own. Subsequently, the underground facility was built, a place where they could find a way to beat these invaders.

However, the plan did not include the invaders discovering the bunker. It definitely did not include the invaders attacking them before their work had really even begun.

But that was what had happened. The entire facility had been in the process of being brought down around them. They had been trying to fight back, but they weren't as tough as the attackers. They had quickly known that they were going to die.

That was why they had made a new plan. Being creatures of peace at heart, it hadn't been difficult for them to make the tough call; they would sacrifice themselves to defeat their attackers in the hope that others would not have to suffer a similar fate, that others could achieve peace. To pull it off, their timing would have to be precise. That was why they had linked their minds, sharing their thoughts with each other to essentially give themselves one consciousness so that they could be sure the buttons could be pressed at the same time. It was the only way to make sure none of these invaders escaped the deep underground complex.

It was the only way to ensure that the complex became the invaders tomb.

At least, again, that had been the initial plan. When the bombs went off, none of them had expected what had happened next. For millennia such a phenomenon had been talked about, but everyone to the last man had been sure that it was just a myth. Now they knew different.

When the bombs went off, they had not died. At least, their_ minds_ didn't. Their bodies were obliterated, their thoughts were not. The linking of their minds had done something to them that none of them truly understood. It meant that even after their bodies were gone, they remained, linked, as one purely psychic being, a being whose physicality was practically gone.

But that wasn't all. The destruction of their bodies in the explosions had created a kind of energy cloud housing their minds. In the fraction of a second between the cloud's creation and the spreading of the flames, the cloud had enveloped each and every one of the invaders that had been in the bunker. _Somehow_, that had meant that the invaders minds had been absorbed into the mental cloud as well.

_All _of their bodies were gone, and yet the battles between them kept raging. They thought they had ended it all, that they had defeated the invaders and made their escape. They had thought wrong. Instead, they had just created a whole new battlefield for themselves. Their sacrifice had merely meant the battle had become one of wills, of mental energies trying to take control of the others, to take control of the cloud. They knew they had to keep the invaders at bay. Initially they had no idea what this cloud actually was, but the fact the invaders were here too meant that it could be _very _dangerous in the wrong hands. They could not let the invaders take control of it and unleash it on the rest of their kind. For the war out there would be raging on, with them little knowing of its progress. All they could do was hope, and to try and keep it that way.

For centuries that battle was fought. The fact that the entire underground complex had been buried deep, deep down beneath tonnes of rock and rubble had helped. Unfortunately the invaders greater numbers meant they were winning the battle of wills, but all that weight and material had still been pinning down even the energy cloud.

Until now. The cloud was getting free. The invaders had managed to lift it, up and away through the smallest cracks in the rock caused by blasts of the energy that made up this new being. That meant that they were scared. By now the war on their world could well be over. It would surely be over, one way or another. Their people could well be long since dead.

But even if they were, that didn't mean that a _different_ world was not about to suffer because of them...

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN:**_

_Me again. I know this was a bit clunky and short, but it was a rather necessary one-off evil. I just wanted to get the basic concept that I'm going for introduced here. More detail will come later on when appropriate but I didn't want things getting bogged down once the action got going._

_You may have guessed by now who these guys are but if you haven't I'll not say. I'll just say that I'm following the _Temple of Doom _approach to sequels in pushing the boat out a little and trying something which is – hopefully – completely different. You'll find out soon enough that I'm intending to get the rest of the Founding seven a lot more involved than they were in the original too. But more on that story later..._

_Next bit should be coming soon. As with the last ones, don't hesitate to review/favourite/follow. You will subsequently be in possession of some of my very precious gratitude. Enjoy!_


	2. Chapter 1: The Princess in the 'Tower

**Chapter 1: The Princess in the 'Tower**

The waters came crashing down, and crashing down hard. The shallowing of the ocean as the waves hit land slowed the waters significantly. The waves had got higher, an almighty wall of water. As it got further towards the land, the waves got slowed down more and more. Soon there was no longer enough speed for the vast column of displaced fluid to keep going. It had no where else to go but down.

The tsunami had struck.

Wonder Woman flew out of the way just in time, a small child held under each arm. She felt the spray splash against her, could feel the force of the impact of the sheer tonnage of water, but she didn't look back. She had to get these kids to safety.

The tsunami was predictably unpredictable. No one had had any warning of it, least of all all those people who were suddenly right in harms way. Thankfully, the sensors aboard the Watchtower had immediately detected the tectonic plates suddenly shift beneath the Pacific Ocean. The Justice League had been able to see the instant the waters were pushed apart by the energy suddenly unleashed upon them. It had not been hard to spot where the waves were going to strike; on the Eastern Pacific, at a small but popular island. It had many inhabitants and countless tourists residing there all year around. Being the heroes that they were, the Justice League could not just sit back and let those people die. Instantly a warning had been sent down there for people to get to high ground. For those who couldn't make it in time, help had been dispatched.

Wonder Woman was one of those immediately dispatched to the scene. With her flight and strength abilities, she was able to gather up people from the beaches and lift them away to safety, even grabbing whole bus loads of them on more than one occasion. Similarly powered, Superman was doing exactly the same, as were all the other heroes the League had been able to muster at such short notice who wouldn't just need rescuing from the waves themselves. There hadn't been the time to recall the likes of Green Lantern, the Flash and Shayera from missions they were already on to help the efforts. Thankfully, it didn't seem like they were needed.

The waves had been seconds away from the beach when the children had been spotted. The Justice League had felt that they had already gotten everyone at least far enough back from the ocean that they ought to stand a chance. They had been wrong. The two youngsters, locals in origin, had clearly not been being watched over by their guardians as they had played on the beach. They were alone out there, with no one to tell the League they were missing. More, they were young enough that the hurried commotion of the Justice League snatching people up and taking them away had scared them, so they had hid out of sight to prevent themselves being snatched away too. Thankfully, Wonder Woman had taken a second look back at the beach before the wave struck.

Superman had called after her in worry when he had watched her sudden fly right into the heart of the danger zone. She had had no chance to tell him what she was doing or why, but thankfully he seemed to quickly catch on, letting her go as fast as she could.

She made it just in time. Even a fraction of a second slower and those kids would have been lost to the waves. Perhaps she herself might have been too. But that was a purely hypothetical scenario now. She had made it. She had saved the children.

It was a good minute before she dared look back, well away from the wave by then. Hovering in the clear blue skies with a child crying from the ordeal under each of her arms, she looked down at the mayhem that had hit the island. Water stretched for far enough where once there had been a bustling community. Vehicles could be seen floating away, boats toppled and smashed, rooftops now looking like floating jetties. The entire town looked like it was gone, lost to the oceans. Thankfully though, the Justice League seemed to have showed up right on time. From up there Wonder Woman could see the gathering of her fellow heroes and all the many citizens they had lifted to safety up on a steep, _dry_ hilltop. It seemed that any loss of life to the disastrous phenomenon was going to be absolutely minimal.

The day was saved.

"I'm glad you spotted them. Nice work, Diana," Superman commented, coming to hover alongside her. He looked and sounded proud of her, as well as a little embarrassed that he hadn't spotted the two kids himself. He was the one with the complete array of vision enhancement after all.

"Thanks," Wonder Woman returned, before gesturing at the two kids, perfectly aware that chances were slim that they spoke any English. "We need to track down their parents. We can't just leave them like this. They have to know that their family wasn't lost in... _that_."

She nodded at the massively flooded land below them. It really was a mess.

"We'll get right on it, but there might be a few such cases. We had to move people rather quickly. There might be quite a few folks who are currently separated that we need to bring back together."

Superman didn't know just how right he was with that. He couldn't. The thought of the additional meanings gave Diana the odd mix of feeling giddy and gutted all at the same time. Thankfully the blend of the two meant nothing was revealed on her face.

"Then we best get to it," Diana dodged the situation, before setting off to fly down to the where the rest of the refugees were stood atop that hill. Work was the best distraction. It had been for months.

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><p>The Justice League had indeed not waited before the next phase of the task began. Simply keeping those people alive was only the beginning of the job. They couldn't just carry these folks up to the safety of that hill and leave them there. They had to ensure that these people could get back on with their lives as soon as possible, that this ordeal wasn't just a very slow end instead of a quick one.<p>

The two children's families hadn't taken overly long to find. It turned out their parents had been right at the front of the queue, desperately asking Captain Atom to help them find the kids. When Wonder Woman had landed beside them, the children had ran straight into their parents arms with tears of joy.

Other families were being reunited all the time. Some were still separate. On top of that, some people were still missing. With several of the local citizens of the island having been making their own way to safety before the Justice League arrived, it was entirely possible that they were just waiting to be ticked off the list and were amongst the rabble in the refugee group on the hill. Of course, it was also possible that despite all the League's best efforts, some people may have still been caught up by those devastating waves.

The town was still a real mess. The waters had hardly even begun to recede. It would be a long time before it would even be possible to start the long rebuilding process. Arrangements were being made for all the tourists on the island to be taken home with whatever of their belongings had survived the tsunami. That wasn't an option for those who had made their permanent home there. For them the League had to come up with a different plan. Thankfully one of the neighbouring islands had willingly offered its lands to be used for constructing a temporary refugee camp until it was possible for the town to be liveable again.

Several of the heroes of the Justice League were still down there organising that operation, but largely the efforts had been taken over by civilian, military and charitable organisations. The Justice League were not a government. They could not impose themselves on people's lives or force their will upon them, even if it was for the people's benefit. Even in cases such as this one, such rules applied. Superman and several others had remained on the scene, particularly for some of the heavy lifting as well as for efforts to save as much of the flooded town as possible. Largely though, this was now out of their hands.

And that was why Wonder Woman was back up on the Watchtower. She wasn't the only one at that, and several of the other Leaguers who had helped save lives on that island had gone off to the Metrotower. For them, things were going back to normal, or as close to normal as they would ever get. A second after she had re-materialised, Diana stepped straight off of the transporter pad and looked directly to the control station.

J'onn was the one on duty now. Diana was glad, very glad. She had nothing against Mr. Terrific, definitely not, but for the past eight months she had always hoped that it would be J'onn that she would see up there whenever she beamed up to the Watchtower. Of course, her reasons were entirely selfish. It had been eight months since that incident with the attack by the cross-dimensional aliens. Eight _long _months.

Eight months since Batman had left. He had gone to put himself under some personal training, something that went beyond what he had studied and perfected over the years, to teach himself how to cope with some happiness in his life without losing what made him the Bat Man.

Eight months since she and Batman had both confessed their love for one another.

Diana had known that he was going, and she had accepted it. She knew that it was necessary if she and Batman were to ultimately be together in the long run. However, that didn't mean that she was enjoying this. After all they had been through to just get to the stage of understanding and admitting their feelings to each other, she was looking forward to the next stage of things. Love was hardly something she had experienced before, not of this kind, not for a man. Batman just seemed to be different. He enthralled her, captivated her in a way no one else ever could. His warrior spirit, the strength of his heart even if it was well concealed, the _choice _he made to be a hero. It all meant that despite all she had been told of men throughout her life on Themyscira, she had fallen in love with one.

But she had been apart from the man she loved from the very night they had agreed to give themselves a try. They still had plenty of issues to work out, but Diana was so looking forward to doing exactly that. The only problem was that Batman still wasn't coming back. Diana wasn't normally patient, but she had to accept that right now they had to work to Batman's timing. Despite that she wasn't really patient right now either, but she knew that there was nothing she could do to speed things along. Forcing Batman to come back would likely only slow things down or undo everything they'd achieved so far. That she couldn't allow.

However, despite all that, she _could _hope. She could hope every time that she came up to the Watchtower, Batman would be there waiting for her. That was why she always looked for J'onn. Thanks to his telepathy, he was one of only three people outside the couple themselves who knew that Batman and Wonder Woman had fallen for one another. As such, he would know exactly what it was that Diana was actually looking out for as she glanced up to the control area upon arrival.

Unfortunately, once again J'onn shook his head as Diana glanced up to him. That meant that, just like every other time over the last eight months, Diana walked away as if everything was normal. If J'onn had nodded, she would be flying away at speeds that would make Flash proud.

As things were, having been busy down on that Pacific Island for several hours, Wonder Woman set off towards the commissary, feeling more than ready for refreshments. She was there before she knew it, food all on her tray without her even thinking about it, so much so that when she began to eat it she was surprised with what lay before her. In the end, she was sat alone at one of the tables and eating away without even being able to remember the journey from the transporter to there.

"It's not like you to be sat in the corner by yourself."

Wonder Woman looked up as the sudden voice spoke up from right in front of her. It was John Stewart, the marine turned Green Lantern. It was clear that he had just arrived back from a mission of his own and had had the same first inclination that she had. However, she hadn't seen or heard him approach. She had been miles away.

"John! I'm sorry, I didn't see you come in," she said, her voice full of warmth in the face of her friend. "Take a seat. Don't worry, I'm not desperate to be left alone. It just kind of...happened."

"You're becoming more like the rest of us everyday, you know," GL replied as he indeed sat himself down across from her with a knowing smile. "Those Amazon's on that island of yours would hardly recognise you."

"John, there's no need to insult me."

Wonder Woman said it rather deadpan, and thankfully John took it as such. Diana was still proud of her heritage, very proud of it. She wasn't about to abandon it, and she knew that she wasn't losing it. She never would. She wouldn't allow that either. John had been joking, to a large extent at least. However, Diana also couldn't deny that her time in Man's World had changed her. Her feelings for Batman were the obvious example there. Still, she constantly thought of herself as far more Amazon than not. She was just taking the best of both worlds.

"So how did your mission go?" she asked as John let out a chuckle at her last comment, changing the subject. J'onn had sent Green Lantern out with Green Arrow, Fire and a rookie hero who had recently joined the League to tackle an unusual villain somewhere in North Africa. Wonder Woman hadn't heard the full story of what exactly that villain was. What she knew for sure was that it was something new, and..._different_. What she had heard she had heard in a rush, meaning that she didn't really understand properly the complex description. Rushing off not long after that to the Pacific to deal with that tidal wave didn't help things much either. Still, the fact that John was back safe and sound and smiling meant things must have gone fairly smoothly.

"Oh, nothing we couldn't handle," John answered with a shrug, before taking a bite out of the food on his plate. "Kind of reminded me of that whole thing with Brimstone actually. How about yours? I hear there was some excitement after we left."

"A tsunami in the Pacific," Wonder Woman answered after swallowing her own bite of dinner. "Thankfully this time there was only the one island in its path, and it looks like we were able to get at least the vast majority of residents to safety in time. Superman is still down there helping the efforts to see that the people are cared for now that their homes are destroyed. I got a little wet, but like you said, it was nothing that we couldn't handle."

"Good," John said with a smile, before shovelling another mouthful of food in. He took a moment to chew and swallow, Diana using the time to do likewise off her own plate. Then GL said something that completely reversed the conversation. "So Batman's still not back yet then, huh?"

Diana almost choked on her food at the shock of John's sudden question. Perhaps she shouldn't have been so surprised, since GL was another of the few who knew of the situation between her and Batman. Apparently he had somehow figured it out before even Diana herself had come to terms with her feelings for Gotham's dark knight. Still, with the conversation as it had been, the return to Batman had caught Diana off guard.

"No, he's not," she rasped once she had cleared her airway, taking a sip of water to help her rediscover her voice. "But after eight months, there's nothing setting today apart any more than any other day. He'll only come back when to us when he's ready."

John actually laughed again at that, making Diana flash him a confused look.

"I'm not sure it's _'us_' that he'll be coming back to. Not at first at least," he quickly explained. "In fact, I'm getting the very distinct impression that he's only been away this long because he's absolutely desperate not to mess things up when he does come back. When he comes back to _you_."

Diana smiled again at that. The same thought had occurred to her too several months ago, but she didn't know if it had just been a bit of wishful thinking. No matter how sincere Bruce had been that night when he had told her everything, there was still that part of her mind which held doubts, that wouldn't let the idea die that he might not live up to his word, that he might not come back to her at all. But that was a small part of her mind. Bruce had earned her full trust long before she realised she loved him, and she knew that it was a two-way street. He _would _be back, and he would stick to his promise. She knew it. John pretty much saying the same thing only helped make her all the more certain.

Of course, she and Batman weren't the only Justice League Founders whose love lives weren't exactly normal at the minute. For one, Superman was yet to reveal to Lois that he was actually just Clark Kent without the glasses, a saga which had been ongoing for years now. Most relevant right now, though, was the situation John was in.

In that moment Diana dearly wanted to offer John some words of encouragement such as those he had just given her. The problem was that no one, including Diana, seemed to know what to say to GL on _that _subject. John Stewart's love life had been complicated for a while now, to say the least. Ever since Shayera's return to the Justice League after her part in the Thanagarian invasion he had been caught between two women that he loved, the one he was with and the one he really wanted. A man of honour, John had been determined to stay with Vixen despite clearly still harbouring feelings for the former Hawkgirl. Things had just gotten even more complex when, having seen the future while stopping a villain with a time machine, John had learned that one day he and Shayera would have a son. From what Diana knew, the desire to not just conform to what fate had declared his life to be was just keeping John from Shayera more, giving him yet more reason to stay with Vixen in spite of his heart's true desire.

And then that attack by the cross-dimensional alien had happened. During the fight against them, Shayera had been wounded. John's reactions had made his true feelings abundantly clear, and Vixen was not blind enough to miss them. From that day she had known that Shayera would always be the one to really have GL's love. She had tried for a few months to get beyond that, to make her and GL still work as an item in spite of that knowledge. However, as to be expected really, her efforts had ultimately proven fruitless. Just a couple of weeks ago Green Lantern and Vixen had amicably decided to go their separate ways.

Yet John still had not gone back to Shayera. He was still too determined to live his life by his own choices, still the type of man who would rather stare fate right in the eye and then walk a different path to the one it guided him down. Everyone and their mother would be able to tell John that he and Shayera would be so much happier if they got together again, that they _belonged _together. Unfortunately, John Stewart was yet to listen.

Using the pretence of finishing off her meal, Wonder Woman racked her brain in search of some way of asking John about Shayera without saying the wrong thing and setting him back even further. As it turned out, that silence was enough to let GL know exactly what it was that she was thinking.

"Yeah, I guess you're not the only one waiting," he said, looking away from her, talking more to his food than anything now the subject had gotten a bit touchier as far as he was concerned. "But it's difficult. I'm still trying to sort everything out in my head, still trying to find my way around everything. Until I do then its better for everyone to keep things as they are. It might always be better."

Diana knew GL didn't really mean that, but once again she couldn't find the right words to say so. Instead, she took heed of the earlier part of the conversation and gave humour a chance.

"You're starting to sound like Batman. I'd fix that pretty quick if I were you."

John looked up to her again at that, actually taking a second before seeing the smile on her face signalling that she was joking around with him. Then he smiled too.

"I guess I am," he said through it. "We can't have that now can we. The Justice League wouldn't be able to take it. Flash for one would go absolutely crazy just at the idea!"

"What's to say the thought of it isn't the reason why he acts as he does already?" Diana continued the tone. "He's probably trying to keep everyone else in too light a mood for Bruce to be able to make us all as brooding as he is."

"That sounds like the sort of crazy thing he might do," John laughed again. "Where is he anyway? I wouldn't have thought it'd be like him to hang around for the bureaucracy once the _quicker _part of the job was done, not once the people were all safe and folks were on hand to help them move on."

"He and Shayera got called off on their own mission moments before the sensors registered that tsunami," Wonder Woman nonchalantly informed her colleague. "I think one of our old friends from the Death Row Gang somehow managed to escape from prison. Those two went to make sure he went back there before he could get up to any serious mischief."

"Good." All laughter had gone from John's voice again. Once again he was talking to his food instead of to her. Diana instantly understood why. The conversation had involved reference to Shayera again. It didn't matter what context it had been in. It was just the effect that even thinking about her and the romance in his life had on John at the moment. Perhaps Batman really did need to return soon. It was starting to seem like the Green Lantern needed to follow his lead in learning how to cope with letting the one he loved into his life. Or, more accurately in John's case, letting her _back _in.

Still, Diana couldn't deny that she was really thinking that for selfish reasons, that she would take whatever good reason was offered for Bruce to come back soon. Like John with Shayera, just thinking of him and what their future might hold together had a strong effect on her, she was just better at keeping it to herself. For a long time now she had tried to avoid having Bruce permanently on her mind, to concentrate on her duties as Wonder Woman as she had done ever since taking the title. However, in those earlier days she had not known that she had fallen in love. These days it was near impossible _not _to think about him, even if he had been away from her for eight very long months.

And it didn't help her efforts to avoid thinking of him while she was talking about Flash and Shayera's mission, which was taking them dangerously close to Gotham, the territory Batman so fiercely guarded...

"So John," she suddenly spoke up again, determined to change what was on each of their respective minds right now, even if was to instead talk of a topic she would not normally hold much interest in. "How are things in the rest of Sector 2814?"

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><p><em><strong>AN:**_

**_Don't worry, _****you'll ****_get to see Batman again soon. Beware though - updates will likely be weekly at best, for a while at least. Apologies, but this beast is taking longer to get done than previously thought, especially as its bigger than the last one and I don't exactly have much time on my hands to do it. Following the great reaction the little prologue got I'll try to be faster, but I can't make any promises._**

**_In the meantime though, review/favourite/follow away! Might just encourage me to try and speed up even more..._**


	3. Chapter 2: Getaway Driver

**Chapter 2: Getaway Driver**

Flash was doing what he was best at; he was running. Between them, he and Shayera had tracked their target down. Of course, it hadn't really been that hard to do so. The villains had left enough of a trail of chaos behind them that Stevie Wonder could have followed it with both arms tied behind his back and a gag in his mouth.

Flash had encountered these guys once before. Well, one of them anyway. The one who had done all the escaping, not the ones who'd done all the assisting. In fact, he had been one of those who had put that one guy in prison in the first place.

The Death Row Gang had been new to the scene eight months ago. There had been six of them at first, each with a different kind of enhanced power. They hadn't been the smartest bunch, nor had they been impeccably organised. That had meant that they were easy to be manipulated, easy for a proper villain to bend them to their will and own diabolical scheming. The bunch had merely been used to get the attention of the Justice League and subsequently set the heroes on the path of the then true villain's plan. The gang had done that job, but they had also been apprehended in the process, all winding up in jail. Well, all except the one who had been shot dead by the assassin Deadshot.

And now another had been killed too, only this time by one of his own friends. This one really was callous. He had murdered one of his own allies to escape from jail, even if he had surely known that the Justice League would immediately be hot on his tail.

This ones name, or at least the one he called himself by since the Death Row Gang's inception, was Guiteau, although Flash simply knew him as "Stretchy Guy", or "Armstrong" after the toy. He was certainly the most brash of his old team, the cockiest one who probably thought of himself as not only team leader but the fiercest weapon too. Heck, he probably also thought that he was more than a match for the strongest of the Justice League on his day. He also, then, must be delusional. The League had beat him before and they'd beat him again. He was relatively nothing, a mere sideshow, a distraction.

But he was _right now'_s distraction.

The "why" was yet to be discovered. It also didn't really matter, especially to Flash. They had figured out the "how" though. The death of his friend had been callous and deliberate. Guiteau had slaughtered his friend, using his shape changing ability to help him create a shank out of his own fingers. It was a shank that he had used to kill his friend, a guy known as Herrold, whose body he somehow dumped out in the out . The first the guards had known of it was when they found Herrold's corpse. The prison had gone on high alert the moment the body was found, but the initial confusion and chaos surrounding finding a dead body had given Guiteau his window of opportunity.

Folks' best guess was that Guiteau had deliberately killed his friend to create that chaos. That much was pretty obvious as soon as the walls of the jail where blown apart the opposite side of the complex to where Herrold was found. Before the guards could race across the place in sufficient numbers to stop him, Guiteau was gone, leaving a trail of rubble in his wake. Ferried away by a heavy truck with plenty of armed goons aboard, he had sped off into the night. Worse, he and his allies had somehow managed to temporarily lose all law enforcers who had given chase long enough to get good distance between him and them. No one yet knew who his helpers were, but once again it didn't matter yet. What they were up to and why they went through so much risk to break Guiteau out would be most easily discovered by catching the buggers. That would also surely stop the guys if they did have any evil plans up their sleeves.

Luckily then, they had not managed to lose the Justice League. Word wasn't slow to reach the Watchtower but it had been slow enough. By the time J'onn had them dispatched and they arrived on the case, the police were actually back on Guiteau's trail. However, they were also happy to hand this one over to two such renowned heroes. Now Flash and Shayera were hunters pursuing their prey, ready for the take down.

The truck was in Flash's sights. He could catch it easily if it wasn't for all this damn traffic. With so many people about on the roads, there was no way Flash could run full speed to get himself up there in the blink of an eye. The chances of getting tagged by one of the many cars on the road were far too high if he did, and at those speeds the chances of injury being _very _serious were also way too high. He would just have to make do going a bit slower, especially with the truck swerving all over the place to make the cars also swerve to avoid them. Clearly that was a tactic to keep Flash behind them. It was also a tactic that was working.

Shayera wasn't having quite the same problems that he was, but she wasn't really in a position to take out the truck either. She had recently been grounded for a long time following a nasty injury to one of her wings, but thanks to the magic of the docs on the Watchtower she had fully recovered. Now she was fully airborne again, meaning that it was easy for her to just fly straight over the top of all those screaming cars. The problem for Shayera was that the people on that truck were taking steps to keep her at bay too. They may essentially be throwing cars in Flash's way, but they were throwing bullets in hers. Those goons who had broke Guiteau out of prison were leant out of the truck, spraying machine-gunfire up into the skies. Shayera was having to essentially stay as far back and virtually as low down as Flash was to avoid it all. Guiteau and his goons weren't getting away from them, but they weren't getting closer to him either.

Yet.

They were determined to get these guys. Flash was a runner, but he didn't run _away_. That went for Shayera too, a battler good and true. In fact, Flash could hear her growling away, anger building at being forced to hide away like this. Her mace was firmly in her hand, fingers gripping it so tightly they were turning white.

And it was that glance that gave Flash his plan.

"Shayera, toss me your pointy stick! I got an idea!" he hollered over the wailing horns of desperately evasive cars, still dodging his way through them. Shayera was flying along above him. She flashed him an annoyed look as if he was an absolute nutter. She momentarily swerved off to one side to dodge an oncoming bus, but when she came back her mace was indeed loosed Flash's way. He just about managed to catch it without tripping himself up and going under a screaming taxi.

"I expect that back fast, Flash!" Shayera called back at him, her voice firm. That mace was her weapon. It was almost always at her side, in battle anyway. Seeing her now flying along without it certainly did seem odd. It clearly must have felt odd too, because Shayera dropped slightly further back from the stream of aerial gunfire coming from that raging truck.

But Flash's plan was to take that gun fire right out of the equation. The traffic may be preventing him from catching that truck, but it wasn't a problem they could reasonably remove. Those goons with the guns were different. _Them _they could get rid off, and then Shayera's path would be clear.

And that was what the mace was for. Shayera was it's master, but Flash could do something she couldn't. He could throw. He could move with such speed that he could hurl the mace with enough force to give the goons one hell of a headache, even more than Shayera herself could manage. He could hit the truck with enough force to send those guys flying off, without having to get close enough to risk getting hit himself. He could give Shayera a way in.

But he had to get the angle right. He had to get the shot lined up, and he couldn't do that while still on the run. Thankfully, he didn't have to.

Another car horn screamed as it had to desperately avoid the angry monster that was the getaway truck. The car swung, its tyres squealing and leaving black marks on the asphalt. This one pretty much came to a stop due to its evasive manoeuvre. That meant it was easy for Flash to run onto its roof, hardly having to break his stride. He could even run faster than before without oncoming traffic in his way. Barely had that car halted than he was suddenly halting right atop its bonnet.

And less than a second after that the mace was hurling forwards into the truck.

It struck, and it struck hard. Those goons had been so focused on keeping Shayera back that they hadn't been looking out for Flash. That meant that they weren't able to brace for the impact. Flash hadn't been accurate enough to go for one of the wheels and take the truck completely off the road, but he had been accurate _enough_.

It hit the rear bumper, and strong enough to dent it, making the truck lurch. Flash saw from his perch as all the armed goons were jolted. They each made a desperate grab for the truck doors that they had been leant out of, something to cling onto. Only one made it. The rest were thrown completely clear, crashing down hard onto the tarmac and other vehicles. All of them lost their weapons from the hit, but the truck kept going regardless. Guiteau and his driver left their fallen comrades behind. More, they made no effort to help the one desperately clinging to the open rear doors, his feet scraping painfully along the ground. He only lasted seconds before he couldn't hold on any more, tumbling away into the road with a howl of pain.

Flash began to run again, still having work to do to catch all the bad guys for good. As he ran he clobbered the fallen goons around him, making sure they were all down for the count. However, he wasn't as quick in going after them as Shayera.

Barley had Flash leapt down from atop the stationary car than she was swooping beyond him. With the gun fire out of the way, she didn't waste any time. Initially she kept low, but only so as to snatch up her mace from where it had dropped to the tarmac before she was quickly heading up into the air. She didn't even wait to take care of the fallen goons, leaving them all to Flash. The truck was her target, good and true. Flash only just had the last goon unconscious by the time that she was in place to strike. He swerved around a motorbike to keep her in view as she prepared to pounce.

Her angle of attack was steep, coming down from the skies. Clearly the truck's engine was her target, her descent leading her straight down to the front of the truck, mace behind her head ready to strike the metal with all of her might and _force _the truck to stop its rampage. Flash had no doubts at all that it was going to work, that they had stopped yet another bad guy's machinations.

At least, that was until he watched what actually happened.

To his horror, Flash saw the shape quickly blast out of the truck's cab, encasing the bonnet just in time. The blob solidified, and solidified hard. Shayera slammed her mace against it before she could even react to it being there. There were a _lot_ of things the mace would smash its way through, but not this thing.

It was Guiteau himself. He had hurled himself forward, using his shape changing abilities to safeguard his getaway vehicle, hardening his rubbery skin so that he could take the blow with ease. Worse, he rather absorbed Shayera's mace, pulling it inside himself as if he were made of quicksand. Flash watched Shayera desperately try to pull it clear but her efforts were to no avail. In fact, they left her guard down instead. She was after the mace so much that it left the doors open for Guiteau to change his shape again, forming a mighty fist to pummel right into Shayera's head.

The Thanagarian fell, stunned. Flash was about to call out her name as he ran past her fallen form, but thankfully he saw her instantly scrambling back up to resume the chase herself. The problem was their best chance of getting that truck off the road had just been taken from them.

And that was when things got dark. All of a sudden the lights faded. It took Flash a moment to realise why, thinking even less when he was pelting along the insanely insane roads than he would normally. They must have gone down into the tunnels beneath the main streets without him noticing. Hell, they must have entered the city limits without him noticing. But that wasn't all. Things had gotten even darker than that. Bar the headlights of that still rampaging truck and the few cars which weren't getting the hell out of there, the entire place had gone pitch black.

The whine of a very different engine was what made Flash realise something else. He remembered what city this was. They had entered into Gotham...

It all happened before he even realised it. The whine of those engines grew ever louder, but in the darkness he never saw it coming until it was right on top of them. Evidently, the same could be said of Guiteau and his driver. The escapee had just scrambled back into the cab, surely having loosened up his skin again, sure that the danger had passed. Even the truck's blaring headlights had not shown them the Batmobile coming, and coming right at them.

And it just kept coming.

Flash had to desperately skid to a stop to dodge the mayhem. He watched in amazement as the Batmobile emerged, soaring _under _the villain's truck, ramping it up into the air with a vast scoop on its front. The truck leapt like such a truck should never do. For a long second it hung into the air as the Batmobile skidded to a halt just beyond it, before crashing back down to Earth with an almighty thump. Doors were thrown clean off the hinges, huge chunks of body work denting, the suspension shattering. Most damaging of all, both axles clearly snapped in twain. The engine of the truck was still purring, but the pieces were going nowhere. All the actions were doing was to make the thing spark.

It didn't take Guiteau long to realise that his escape vehicle was knackered. Flash was just about to get going again when the man tumbled out of the opening in the side of the cab where his door had been seconds earlier. The murdering fugitive was visibly shaken and battered, making it more obvious than ever that he hadn't put up his defences in time. Flash guessed that the pain he would be in from the crash would also make him slow to get them up now. However, he didn't have the chance to test that theory.

The air whistled just for a moment before the soft thud. Guiteau let out a surprised noise through his pained moans. It was all that he had time to do before he became lit up like a Christmas tree. Light began pulsing through his body which was suddenly convulsing, his groans of pain now much more constant and intense. It only lasted a second but it was enough. The man's nervous system had just been shocked, _sonically_. Flash knew why before the guy hit the deck, unconscious.

Once again he was halting himself, but this time it was in awe. Before he knew it Shayera was landing down at his side having caught up following the blow she took.

"Batman?" Shayera almost silently voiced to him, at which Flash could merely shrug.

Both of them looked at each other in total surprise before looking down at the stationary Batmobile. They could see the ramp-like frontage, could see the places where the panelling of the legendary car had been shifted mid-drive to take up that shape, almost like the car was a Transformer. They could also see the damage the car had taken, the weight of the truck having seemingly crushed a fair amount of the elongated front end. The car looked like it wouldn't be going anywhere soon, but the cockpit looked fine, untouched by the truck lurching over it. Both Flash and Shayera slowly walked towards it, expecting their long absent ally to leap out of it as only he could. It had been months since they had even heard anything from him. Neither knew what to say at the thought that one of their original merry band ought to be right there, back with them. They were just waiting for the cockpit to pop open and the black clad figure to emerge. The unconscious Guiteau was just left waiting on the deck as they did so, no thought at all going to the driver still in the battered truck's cab.

"You're in my city."

Both Flash and Shayera jumped in surprise at the exact same moment. The voice came from _behind _them. Flash spun with intense speed. Sure enough, Batman was there. The man really was a ninja. A gadget-ridden ninja. A gadget-ridden, genius, tough guy ninja. The guy must have _somehow _been driving the car by remote and hiding up in the ceiling of the tunnel, ready to pounce on Guiteau once his defences were down. Or he had a very subtle ejector seat. Or he had made himself momentarily invisible. _Anything _was believable with Batman.

He was still dressed the same as ever, he still looked as _cheery_ as ever, but despite it all Flash was still suddenly overjoyed to see him there. Batman could very definitely scare the living daylights out of him with just a glare. He was hardly ever warm, friendly, comforting or even nice. But he was one of them, and after all that the Justice League had been through together, it didn't matter how different they were. Every last one of them, especially the Founder's, were Wally West's closest friends. Batman included. That was why he couldn't stop himself from giving Batman a brotherly hug the second he overcame his shock at the man not being in the car.

"Let. Go."

The growl was issuing from Batman within milliseconds. He wasn't the hugging type, and with the steel in his voice, Flash quickly obeyed. It was when he did so that he noticed that Shayera had actually been giving old Bats a hug too. It seemed Mr. Dark and Scary had been more missed by the Leaguers than Flash had ever realised.

"Bats! Long time no see, ol' buddy, ol' pal!" Flash blurted out in excitement. He had selfish reasons to be excited too, of course. The rest of the Justice League had had to get a whole lot more serious without Batman around. Bats had always been willing to do the less exciting jobs, to see to it that reports were filed properly, that maintenance on the Watchtower was impeccably maintained, that everyone knew what they were doing without question. Without him around, the rest of the Founders had had to step in and take on even more responsibility for those more menial jobs. More, they had also had to try and think more as the common man and how a team of superheroes could actually be viewed as a dangerous thing. Once again, that had always been one of Batman's specialities, keeping the Justice League in check with who they were protecting, in no small part because of how he had no powers himself. Flash had always been the League's heart, so that part had rather befallen him. He was more than happy to help people, but that sort of task was far too dark and morbid for his liking. He wanted Batman back to take it off of his hands. That meant that he was acting even more excited than simply from reuniting with a good friend. He was positively giddy.

Batman, however, had clearly already had enough of him, especially when he viewed that there was still work to be done. That was why he addressed Shayera next, actually handing her back her mace that he must have somehow retrieved when their backs were turned.

"The GCPD will be here to pick up these crooks at any second," he growled in his typically deep, emotionless voice. "They've been alert and ready to lock them back away since before the breakout began."

"You knew Guiteau was coming? How?" Shayera voiced in shock. She too was clearly glad to see Batman again, despite some past differences between those two that Flash was yet to understand. She was just better at sticking to task than he was.

"The breakout was all a part of a scheme by Cobblepot," Batman answered her. "The plan was to get Guiteau out of jail without anyone knowing. Two-Face had a plan to rob Gotham's Second National Bank that required someone with Guiteau's particular skills, so he hired the Penguin to use his underworld connections to get Guiteau out. Dent told me everything when I turned him over to police custody, but we were too late to stop the breakout from happening. Luckily Guiteau got cocky and made a mess instead of trying to disappear. It made catching him so much easier."

"Easy?" Flash blurted out again. "We've been chasing this guy for miles! You had to wreck your car to actually stop him!"

Once again, Batman ignored Flash, continuing on as if the Scarlet Speedster had not said a word. "I knew that he would still come here. It fits his profile. He's arrogant and stupid. He would think that because Penguin wanted him out he could blackmail Cobblepot into getting him safely from any police, otherwise he would expose Penguin's role in his escape. He wouldn't realise that such a move would be predictable. He wouldn't realise that stopping the two of you would not be enough. It was simply a matter of getting him in the right place, removing his defences and taking him down."

Batman broke off then as sirens suddenly began blaring behind him. Seconds later a horde of police cars had pulled up, officers swarming out. In no time the array of unconscious goons were being rounded up. Guiteau was picked up by a guy Flash was sure he had seen on the news before; the legendary Commissioner James Gordon himself. Batman looked over his shoulder at the police, offering the Commissioner a nod. Flash was absolutely gob-smacked to see the Commissioner _smile _at Batman in return.

"I may have been gone for eight months, but the rules haven't changed," Batman suddenly spoke again, turning back to Flash and Shayera as if what was happening behind them wasn't happening. "Get out of my city. Go back to the Watchtower. I'll be there soon to file my report."

"Wait... You're coming back?" Flash couldn't help himself. Once again, the words were tumbling out of him before he had even thought about them. Beside him he could see Shayera tense up too, almost as if she was thinking the exact same thing. However, there was also a very confusing, very _knowing _look to her that if Flash wasn't so caught up in the moment he may well have had to call her on. "As in _back _back?"

"Eight months is long enough," Batman simply answered, turning his back on them and beginning to move over to the Commissioner and the freshly arrested Guiteau. However, he did stop to say one more thing before he was gone. "Besides, there's something I need to do up on the Watchtower. And I didn't _have_ to wreck the Batmobile. It was time for a new one anyway."

Flash was completely lost for words. Not only was Batman suddenly back, but he could have sworn he had just heard him _crack wise_. He couldn't believe it. This morning he had woken up just like every other day over the last eight months. Now things were suddenly going back to how they had been before that. No, that wasn't quite right. Batman _never _joked then, no matter how subtle. Not around Flash, anyway.

He didn't realise just how frozen he had been by that until he felt Shayera put an arm on his shoulder. He quickly looked back at her, noticing her eyes weren't leaving Batman's retreating back. There was _definitely _a look in her eyes as if she knew or understood something that Flash didn't, as if she had an additional, completely different reason to be glad that the original seven would be together again soon. Flash, though, wasn't about to get the chance to ask her what it was. Shayera had her comm active and was quickly talking into it before he could say anything at all, though her words only provided yet more intrigue.

"Shayera to J'onn. The situation's handled. Beam us back up. And J'onn, a word of warning. There'll be a _very familiar_ third coming up any minute after us. You might want to get the right people prepared."

* * *

><p><strong><em>AN:_**

**_As usual, gratitude has been dispatched for all fandom to date. More is in stock for all new reviews/follows/favourites. Its all appreciated!_**

**_Catch you all again soon!_**


	4. Chapter 3: Long Time No See

**Chapter 3: Long Time No See**

It had been a busy shift that day for him. First there had been GL's mission down to Africa against that new threat, villainous or otherwise. Then there had been the tsunami out in the Pacific threatening an entire island's worth of people. And then there had been the prison break in North America. And that wasn't even mentioning the hordes of smaller missions that the Justice League were always embroiled in. Yes, it had indeed been a busy night.

But despite it all, J'onn still found the time to reach out telepathically to his wife.

It was his turn for duty at the moment. Ever since his return to the Justice League during Darkseid's attack, he and Mr Terrific had been taking command in shifts. J'onn couldn't do the job full time any more. Now he had a reason not to. No longer did he have to stay cooped up on the Watchtower alone all the time. No longer did he want to. Now he wanted to spend his time with his latest family. Now he wanted to have a life again. Now he _did_ have a life again.

He had never expected it to happen. He had never expected to move on, to find a new place that he could well and truly call home. His years with the Justice League had made him care about the Earth deeply, yes, but it wasn't the same to him as Mars had been. It was a wonderful place, but it wasn't his home. It wasn't where he was from, where he had spent hundreds of years of his life. It wasn't where he had had – and lost – his family.

Not a day went by when J'onn didn't think about the wife and children that had been taken from him by the Imperium and their invading army. Being the last of his kind was lonely enough as it was. Being the last of his family had made it even worse. That loneliness and loss had drove him to solitude, no matter how much he cared about this new world and his new friends. It just wasn't the same.

Then Wonder Woman had encouraged him to spend time among the people of the Earth, to spend time as a common man, to take in what this world really had to offer, as she had done. J'onn had – eventually – decided to give her idea a try. It was then that he had met his new wife.

He would never forget the life he once had, the family he had lost, but she helped him to see that his own life was not over. She helped to give him more reason and purpose beyond his heroics. She had taught him that even after so much hardship and suffering he could still find happiness again. She was very much the reason why he now _looked forward_ to his time when he wasn't on duty.

For that, he would be eternally grateful to her. But he would also never stop missing the life he had once had, no matter how happy he was now.

He reached out to her again. At this distance he couldn't really converse with her telepathically, but the bond between him and his wife had become firm and strong enough that he could detect her with ease, even with all the billions of other minds down there with her. He was glad to register that she was happy. Rather selfishly, he was also glad to detect that she was missing him, despite him only having been away for a matter of hours.

Still, if she had been a fellow Martian, the distance or the crowds wouldn't have mattered. The link would have meant that so much more could happen now than just registering his wife's feelings.

Despite it all though, J'onn was happy. He was in a healthy, stable and loving relationship with a woman that he wanted to be with for a long, long time, despite the differences. Of all the Justice League's founding seven, it was remarkable that he was the one to have found love in such a way. He very much doubted that anyone would have believed that a couple of years ago.

As it was though, things were complicated for all of his friends. There was also the GL/Shayera situation, Superman's ongoing fling with Lois and then Flash with his constant awkwardness at awkward times around the opposite sex. But Batman and Wonder Woman topped the lot.

Wonder Woman had returned to the Watchtower a few minutes ago. The look she had given J'onn upon doing so meant that he didn't need telepathy to know what she was thinking about. J'onn had played a key part in helping her to understand her feelings towards a certain masked vigilante. He had known about it longer than she had thanks to both his telepathy and her... _lack of experience_. He had monitored things throughout the long development between the two, so he was one of the few in prime position to know what she was going through. Of course, with Batman away he couldn't read what _he_ was going through, but he did know his friend. He knew that it was about time that Batman returned, for both of their sakes.

It was just as he was thinking that that the call came in from Shayera.

_"Shayera to J'onn. The situation is handled. Beam us back up. And J'onn, a word of warning. There'll be a very familiar third coming up any minute after us. You might want to get the right people prepared."_

The smile was creeping across his face even as he was hitting the buttons to bring Flash and Shayera back aboard the Watchtower. Batman was coming back. He could just imagine the look on Diana's face when she would find out.

The thought of such potential love and happiness made him reach out to sense his own wife again, revelling in the happy thoughts.

They meant that he didn't pick up the outside source listening in on _him_.

* * *

><p>"Yeah, but of course, none of it compares to what we do here," GL went on. He had been talking for a while now about all things Sector 2814. Diana had listened intently to it. She was enjoying just sitting here chatting with John, as if they weren't all superheroes who so often had the fate of the entire world on their shoulders. It also helped her to forget about all of life's other problems. "Nothing out there is quite like the Earth, you know?"<p>

"There is a reason why the gods favour us so," Wonder Woman responded. "And I for one am certainly glad for it. Our world truly is a beautiful place. It gives us yet more reasons to make sure we protect it."

"Not exactly like we need another one, though, is it?" GL said with a smile. "There's enough out there for us to be safeguarding as it is. Enough _people_. But hear, hear!"

He held up his glass for a toast, with Diana quickly following his lead. She didn't fail to notice his stressing of the word "people". He was clearly referring to a certain two when he said it, a certain two who were very close to each of them respectively.

Rather aptly, it was just then that they heard Flash's rather excited shouts start echoing throughout the Watchtower as the Scarlet Speedster sped around the corridors. He was clearly determined that everyone who could heard what he had to say. Little could he know just how much Diana actually wanted to hear what it was that he was shouting.

"He's back! He's back! Hey, everyone! Bats is coming back!"

Diana instantly shot up in her chair. She stayed seated, but to an onlooker she might have looked rather like a meerkat sensing danger. Her attention was well and truly caught. Was this the day after all? Was this the day that she had been waiting for for eight long months? After so long, was it finally here?

"Look busy everyone! Look busy! You don't want him turning that scowl on you on his first day back, do you? I repeat, Batman's coming back!"

A red form suddenly appeared in the doorway as Flash rapidly flung himself to a stop in the commissary doorway. He seemed to instantly spot Wonder Woman and Green Lantern sat in the corner, latching onto them and zipping over to their table. Before either of them knew it, Flash was at their side, leaning over them with one arm wrapped around each of them.

"Hey, guys! Bats is coming back!" he quickly babbled on before either of them could react any more than the initial looks of surprise. "Me and Shayera just ran into him in Gotham when we were chasing down that stretchy guy! And our favourite gloomy guy said that he's on his way back any second! Speaking of which, I better get going! There's still plenty of people to warn!"

And then Flash was gone as quickly as he had arrived, but he had certainly had a major impact on things. Diana quickly looked over at GL. Her feelings on the situation were abundantly clear. She made no efforts at all to hide them. In front of GL there would be no point anyway. He already knew that her heart desperately wanted her to leave this chair and this room. Now she definitely had somewhere else that she wanted to be. Somewhere else where she _needed _to be. After eight months she didn't want to wait any more, not even for a second. She had to be there when he arrived back up on the Watchtower. Ideally, she had to be there to greet him _alone_. GL obviously saw that much in her eyes.

"I think that Flash might need a hand spreading the news," GL said as if he was musing aloud, though Wonder Woman knew that he was saying it for a different and very deliberate reason. "Perhaps you should head up to the teleporter without me, give our friend a proper welcome back."

Wonder Woman instantly grinned more broadly than the Cheshire Cat, gently resting a hand on one of GL's where it lay on the table between them.

"Thank you, John," she voiced her immense gratitude, her voice giving away the giddiness that she was feeling with every fibre of her being. GL smiled back in return.

"Go get him."

Wonder Woman did not need telling twice. She was gone even quicker than Flash had been, literally taking off into the air and flying her way throughout the Watchtower's corridors. She flew right over the heads of anyone she came across out there, no matter who they might be. One or two startled looking heroes even called after her, sounding worried that something drastically wrong might be happening, They were worried that they might be needed somewhere, particularly due to Wonder Woman's speed as she darted beyond them all. However, Diana did not even bother to pause to explain things to them, or at least lay any unease she might have stirred in them at rest. She was just too determined to reach the teleporter room. She had to be there when he got back. It might sound silly, but she wanted to be the first thing that he saw when he re-materialised. She definitely thought it was a silly notion herself. A year ago she would be chastising herself for such a thought, being the proud Amazonian warrior that she was. But then a year ago she had never thought that she would be in love with a man. Living in this world had definitely changed her, at certain times at least. This was one such time. She wanted to be the first thing he saw. She wanted him to be returning to her before he was returning to the Justice League. Call it selfish, but that was how things were.

Unfortunately, the best laid plans of many people so often went wrong. Wonder Woman just happened to be one of those people.

She arrived at the main teleporter chamber full of that optimistic hope, landing just before she opened up the door. She eagerly hit the button, picturing how this should go in her mind. In there, the second the doors opened there was the flash of light and then Batman was there before her, with them then running into each others arms. Not very warrior-like, but she was quickly developing her romantic side.

But when the door did open, things were quite different to how she was imagining them. Despite all her efforts to get here fast, she hadn't been fast enough. Batman had already arrived.

She was halted in her tracks before she could begin to move towards him. She had wanted this day for so long, and now that the moment was here she didn't know what to do. She just froze, staring across at him.

He looked exactly as he did when she had last seen him. Exactly as he did every time Diana had pictured him in her mind since. He was... Well, he was still Batman. His face was still shrouded behind the cowl, his jaw set firm giving nothing away. With those white lenses hiding his eyes she couldn't tell for sure if he was looking her way, but she felt pretty sure that being the master detective that he was Batman would have looked up when he heard someone new entering the room. However, he still wasn't reacting. In truth that didn't surprise Diana. That was just Batman's way. He had never been the type to display emotions in all the time that Wonder Woman had known him, apart from his anger. There was no reason for that to change now. When they had confessed their love for one another, Wonder Woman had even made the point that, unlike so many women who had been in his life before her, she didn't _want _him to change. She loved him for who he was. Despite all that though, she couldn't lie and say that she wasn't disappointed that he didn't at least smile at the sight of her.

But just seeing him again was enough for now. It would have to be. Batman beating her here was not the only way in which Diana's plans had not come to fruition. They had company, company that didn't know the truth about what was going on between the two of them. Wonder Woman tried to make herself look as normal as possible – albeit doubting how successful she was at doing so – not wanting to give anything away until the time was right for others to know. The thought – or perhaps _hope –_ crossed her mind that perhaps that was the reason why Batman had reacted so seemingly indifferently to her arrival.

J'onn and the civilian controllers would be up top working the devices of course, but they were all out of sight and out of earshot right now. Superman was in there too, the only other person in the main area. His back was to Diana where he stood between her and Batman. He was stood with Batman, clearly conversing with the returning hero. From the look of Superman, he had only just got back himself, obviously no longer needed down in the Pacific with the local authorities taking over the recovery operations. He looked happy himself to see possibly his best friend back. Not as happy as Diana of course, but happy all the same.

"What kept you?" Superman was saying through his great, big grin, his words making it pretty clear that the conversation was in its infancy. One of the two men had clearly only arrived moments before Wonder Woman. Now that she looked closer, it looked almost like Batman had just fended off a hug from Superman. She suspected that he might be doing that a few times in the coming days after having been away for so long from a group of people who had all learned to respect him greatly. She knew that she for one wanted to embrace him in an expression of joy. However, she also knew that she could well be the exception, the one of them that Batman would _want_ such an action from.

"I was busy," Batman very simply told Kal, still giving nothing away. His voice was as deep and gravelly as ever. Hearing it again gave Wonder Woman the oddest of sensations deep in her stomach, as if it had just done a somersault, even if he was still giving no indication of knowing that she was there. "I still am. This'll have to wait until later."

"Come on, Bruce!" Kal countered, though he didn't sound surprised, nor did his mood dampen at all. Wonder Woman continued to watch on from the sidelines. It wasn't her forte, but she would be patient. She didn't want to have to act, so she was going to wait her turn. "You've been gone for almost a year! What can possibly be so important that you can't spend a minute or two to say hello? Its not like the world's ending again right now."

"I have reports to file, systems to check, maintenance programmes to implement, scans to run," Batman immediately argued back as if such things were the most important in the world. "As you say Kent, I've been gone for almost a year. I have to make sure that things are still running smoothly after my absence."

"What's the matter, Bruce, don't you trust us?" Superman said with a smirk. It was an attempt at humour, referencing back to the time when Batman had left them in the first place. Back then there had been a big issue between Batman and the Justice League, a matter of trust that had almost seen Batman expelled from the group until he had finally explained things to Superman and set things straight. Typically, Bruce wasn't finding Kal very amusing.

"It's _important _work," he simply stated instead, stressing the word firmly and _very _seriously. He was making sure that no room for doubts was left open, giving Superman one of his best glares to aid the process.

"I guess I'll leave you to it then," Superman gave in after a moment's pause. He sighed as he spoke, the smile now fading from his face. He had clearly been looking forward to this day too. Wonder Woman wasn't the only one whose plan for this day hadn't come to fruition. "I'm due to see Lois in Metropolis soon anyway."

"With or without the glasses?"

Batman said the words dryly, as if there was nothing to them. Wonder Woman knew exactly what it was that he truly meant. Was Kal going to see Lois as Superman or as Clark Kent? It was almost as if Batman was judging his friend for not having told Lois the truth about his identity. It was a bit rich, that, coming from the man who had spent years dodging away from telling the woman he loved about his own feelings. No matter how much she loved him, Wonder Woman still felt annoyed with Batman for that comment, one which Superman sheepishly avoided.

"Its good to have you back, Bruce," Superman said instead, a resemblance of a smile actually returning to his face. "It'll be just like old times. We'll catch up when I get back. I'll not let you dodge out of it next time."

"Right," Batman gave the non-answer in response, simply staring Superman down as he so often would. However, that just made Superman smile again. The old Batman they all knew and loved was certainly back. No matter how rude he might seem, it was clear that Wonder Woman was far from the only one who had missed him.

She continued to stand silently by in the doorway as Superman climbed up onto the teleporter pad. Batman watched as Superman performed the action, facing the big Kryptonian all the way and still seemingly not noticing that Diana was there. Before both of their eyes, Superman looked up to the control centre and where Wonder Woman knew J'onn would still be stationed.

"Energize, J'onn," Kal said. And the next second he was gone, teleported away in a flash of light. Technically J'onn's control station was in the room, but with it out of sight for all intents and purposes Superman's departure meant that Wonder Woman and Batman were now alone. J'onn spoke to her telepathically in that instant, as if to emphasize that point. Unlike Superman who seemed too distracted to notice, the Martian would have known she was there before she had even arrived.

"_I shall see to it that the two of you now get some privacy. Good luck, Diana_."

Wonder Woman felt the smile cross her lips upon hearing those words cross her mind. However, she did not remain focused on them for very long. It was then that Batman finally turned to face her properly for the first time in far too long. Her breath suddenly caught in her lungs as he began to slowly walk towards her, though he still was giving no indication of how he was feeling. Now that they were alone, Wonder Woman couldn't hold it all back any more.

"Bruce!" she virtually breathed his name, too overjoyed to shout it.

She flung herself forwards, flying the short distance that was left between them and wrapping him up in her arms. She held him up close, hands clenching tightly against the fabric of his cape. If he didn't always ensure every aspect of the real him was hidden to maintain his identity then she would be drinking in every line, every scent, Hera, even every taste of his right now. It took her along moment to realise that he wasn't reciprocating her action.

"Bruce, what's wrong?" she asked as soon as she registered that. She pushed herself back so that she could see his face properly again, only to see that it was still completely unmoved. That giddy feeling that had taken hold of her was suddenly gone. She really didn't like the new feeling that was taking its place. She was starting to feel scared. Why? Why was he _still _failing to react? Why, after all that had changed between them the last time they had spoken? "What is it?"

"Now isn't the time, Princess," Batman stated simply in response, remaining completely stoic.

_That _was really starting to annoy her now. He had agreed. Eight months ago, Wonder Woman had said there was only one thing about Batman that she would ever want him to change. She had told him not to shut her out, and he had promised to do as she asked. Never in those eight long months had she doubted that he would live up to his word. Now she was starting to have doubts. Now she was suddenly starting to doubt everything. Damn, Bruce could affect her like no-one else could ever manage. She _really _was in love with him.

"Bruce, now is exactly the time," she countered him. This was definitely not going to plan. Never had she envisaged there first minutes back together evoking an argument. "Have you forgotten what happened? Have you forgotten what we both said in your cave? Have you forgotten how we both _feel_? I've waited eight long months for you Bruce. You said you needed time and I gave you time. Please, just give me a few moments now. Tell me what's wrong."

"Diana," Bruce practically whispered her name, dropping the typical growl from his tones as he did so. His jaw even seemed to loosen slightly, as if just saying her name reduced the anger that he utilised so well. "I _will_ tell you everything. I haven't forgotten a single second of that night. I _never _will. There's just something that I need to do first."

"Filing reports?" Wonder Woman blurted out in shock at what she was hearing. "Checking maintenance systems? Bruce, surely those things can wait..."

"Those one's can," Batman cut her off, the firmness coming back to his voice now. "But not every task I told Superman is so mundane. Princess, something is going on, something I have to check out to make sure its not truly dangerous. I need to use the Watchtower's sensors to do that."

"Bruce, tell me this isn't another solo crusade," Diana virtually pleaded, harking back to the last time she had seen Batman in action. Then he had fought an entire army of incredibly deadly aliens to save the world, to save _her_, and he had done so without bringing the Justice League into it. Being Gotham's protector was one thing, but for the world as a whole, against such overwhelming numbers... Batman may well be the most dangerous man on Earth, but even he couldn't do everything, especially twice.

"This isn't like before, Princess," Batman was quick to assure her. "But I have to investigate this. If I need help, you'll be the first one that I call."

Wonder Woman could immediately tell that that was the best that she was going to get, right now at least. "Then do what you have to. What is this thing anyway?"

"I can't say for certain," Batman answered. He had begun walking as he said it as Diana took a step to his side. She made sure that she matched strides with him. She may have relented and allowed him this extra time, but that didn't mean she couldn't go with him _now_. Together they strode out of the main teleporter room. From what little Batman had really told her, it didn't take a genius to figure out that he was leading her to the control room and its equipment. "Not with what I know so far. But I have my suspicions from what I've been able to detect from Gotham, and I don't like it."

"Do you at least know where this thing is?" Diana continued to question him, definitely feeling that the more she found out about this now, the quicker she could help Bruce to resolve it so that the two of them could then finally reunite properly. By now they were already fairly deep into the corridors, well on their way to where they were going. "How long do we ha–?"

She never finished that sentence. She didn't have the chance to. The blood curdling scream saw to that, a scream so loud that it reverberated thunderously throughout the corridors around them despite there being no-one else in sight. Instantly both Wonder Woman and Batman looked back in the direction they had just come from, both registering from where the scream had emanated. They both also recognised from the sound exactly who it was who was screaming, who it was what was in such obviously incredibly intense pain; J'onn.

Wonder Woman quickly looked back to Batman. All he had to do was give her a quick confirming nod and she was in the air and scooping him up. Her flying was the quickest way for both of them to get there and there was no doubt that that was where they both needed to be. Whatever had happened in these last few moments, whatever they had planned before, neither of them were about to abandon their friend.

As Wonder Woman raced through the air once again, Batman draped in her arms, she couldn't help but feel that J'onn's scream was the answer to her unfinished question. Perhaps this thing Batman had come back to investigate was already here.

However, despite the possible ramifications of that, that thought didn't frighten her anywhere near as much as the thought that it might be this thing that Batman returned to the Justice League for, and not her. Again, she knew it was selfish but she couldn't help it. She knew that she would need to resolve those fears, just as soon as they had helped J'onn.

_If_ they could still help him...

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN:**_

_I've just realised I forgot to throw in a disclaimer at the start again, so here it is instead. I own none of the non-original stuff herein. That lot belongs to DC and their parents at Time Warner. Shame, but that's how things are._

_Anyways, review/follow/favourite away friends. See you next week, same Bat-Time(ish), same Bat-Channel!_


	5. Chapter 4: Incursion

**Chapter 4: Incursion**

It was easy for J'onn to ensure that Batman and Wonder Woman had some privacy. None of his staff in the control room even knew that Wonder Woman was there, so none of them would be guessing the true reason for him sending them all away on various unnecessary tasks any time soon. That meant that he alone was now in the control room and, with only the two of them down there in the teleporter area, that meant there were no eavesdroppers around. As for J'onn himself, he could easily chose not to listen. It was a simple task of giving his mind something else to focus on.

Some_one _else, to be more accurate.

That was why he took yet another moment to reach out to his wife. It didn't matter if it had only been a matter of minutes since he had last done so. It didn't matter if in that time her feelings were completely unchanged. He just liked to feel close to her.

However, his pleasant moment did not get to last as long as he hoped.

It turned out that stretching out telepathically was a big mistake. In doing so he had opened up his mind. That had never been a problem before. He had not expected it to be a problem now. It wasn't like there was a lot of active, adversarial telepaths out there to assault him, even if said enemy had known how to. Therefore he had not even considered the possibility that opening up his mind could be dangerous, let alone reject it.

He was wrong there. He was very wrong. The external mind – or minds – imposed upon his suddenly, forcefully. It came completely out of nowhere, so strongly that it took all of his effort to try and keep it at bay. However, that effort wasn't enough. This other mind was stronger than his, far stronger, almost like it was hundreds of minds in one. There was nothing he could do to keep them out. There was no way this outsider, whoever they were, could take control of his body, but that didn't mean that they couldn't hurt him, badly, knowingly or otherwise.

J'onn was suddenly regretting his timing. After dismissing his staff for Batman and Wonder Woman, he was up here alone. There was no one there to help him. There was no one there to see him through the pain. There was no one there to make sure he was all right.

What there certainly was was a whole lot of pain. It made the strongest of possible migraines pale in comparison. The effect of the external force on his mind didn't make his head feel like it was splitting in two, it made it feel like it was splitting into a thousand pieces, if not a _million_.

He tried to hold off the screams. He tried to maintain his control, to regain it. He tried to kick the external force out, or at least find out who they were and what they wanted.

He failed on all counts.

The yells were ceaseless as soon as they started, full of horrific amounts of hurt. J'onn could no longer even hold his eyes open, collapsing down to the deck in a rough crumple. All his muscles tensed through the incredible pain.

And it was a pain that didn't show any signs of stopping.

* * *

><p>Flying, it didn't take them long to get back to the Watchtower's main chamber. It made it a lot easier to rise up to the elevated command area too. With the rate and way that J'onn was still screaming, it was a good job too. From the sound of things, he needed their help fast, and needed it badly.<p>

Batman was throwing himself from Wonder Woman's grasp before she had even begun to set him down, landing on the metal with great pose and grace. However, Wonder Woman, for the first time since Batman had come back up to the Watchtower, was not looking at him. The sight of J'onn curled up on the floor and howling his head off in agony saw to that.

"J'onn!" she called out his name as she quickly landed and knelt down at the Martian's side. She knew that she was safe to do so. She knew that Batman would be checking the room, looking to see if there was any sign of someone else in there who was causing this. She also knew that that freed her up to focus on their friend in need.

She was hoping he would respond to her shout, that he would at least be able to tell her what was wrong with him. But she knew from the moment she saw J'onn like that that he was not about to be saying a word at any time in the immediate future.

"Hera, J'onn, what's wrong with you?" Diana softly said, voice full of concern. She wasn't really talking to anyone, it was just her way of voicing the fact that she didn't have a clue what to do. She was no doctor, especially no _Martian_ doctor. Even if she was a physician, she doubted she would know how to help him. She was studying him, looking for any sign of what could be causing him so much harm but she could see nothing there. Whatever was hurting J'onn, there was no visible trace of it. Still, she dare not touch him. J'onn looked ready to thrash out, completely unaware of his surroundings, overtaken by the pain. Wonder Woman could probably take the hit, but it could well be best if she didn't interfere, not without knowing what she was doing.

"It must be a telepathic attack," Batman's voice broke her from her reverie over J'onn.

She quickly looked over to Bruce. He wasn't looking back at them. His attention was fully on the computer systems in the controller area, visibly working away. At least that meant that the area must be clear of any foes. Batman would not have put himself in the more vulnerable, less watchful position otherwise. Therefore, Wonder Woman would not have to waste time fighting the enemy before the efforts truly got underway to make sure J'onn was okay. The Martian was still howling in agony. Wonder Woman knew they had to find some way to ease his pain.

"Is there anything we can do to stop it?" she rather desperately asked Batman, urgency blatant in her tones.

"Unless you've developed even more powers in the last few months, the best if not only way will be to cut off the source," Batman answered her, his own voice remarkably under control given the state one of the few people he would call 'friend' was in. Of course, he did have to speak louder than normal to be heard over J'onn's endless howls of pain. "And I think I've found it."

Batman didn't need her to ask before he was hitting the buttons to put what he had found up on the screen in front of his station. Wonder Woman found herself reflexively standing at the sight of what was before her. What she was seeing was filling her with confusion, but she didn't get the chance to voice it. The suddenly arriving red blur saw to that.

"I heard the screaming!" Flash called out as he halted by Wonder Woman's side, immediately starting to take in what was going on around him. "What's up with the big guy? Is he oka... What the heck is _that _thing?"

Seeing what was on the screen cut Flash's question off. He may be immature at times but Wally West wasn't stupid. He would know that with both Batman and Wonder Woman already at J'onn's side then steps would already be being taken to help their still embroiled friend. He would know that if Batman and Wonder Woman were focusing on what was on that screen, then that would be where he would he would have to focus on too to best help save J'onn.

Wonder Woman quickly looked back from Flash to the screen. What she was seeing was hard to comprehend or understand. It certainly didn't look like something that could be causing the damage it was apparently doing to someone who was usually so tough. It was something out there in the emptiness of space, not something that Wonder Woman was as well versed in as the likes of Green Lantern and Shayera, but her eyes weren't deceiving her.

That thing out there didn't look solid. In fact, it looked like there was nothing really holding it together at all. It reminded Diana of a cloud, albeit a vast and angry one, and not one just made of evaporated water. It had a glow to it, a real vibrant energy pulsing out pure white light, so bright against the black backdrop of space. And it looked like it was close. It wasn't moving, but Wonder Woman, even without knowing what the thing was, was feeling that it was too close to the Watchtower for comfort. J'onn's ongoing enveloping agony was all the proof she needed of that.

"Now isn't the time to speculate unnecessarily, since I've never come across anything like it," Batman answered Flash over J'onn's continuing screams, though Wonder Woman could see that his fingers were still a blur over the keyboard. He was doing something, and from how the screen was unchanged she felt safe in guessing that whatever he was doing was intended to stop whatever that thing was doing to J'onn. However, she needed to hear out his answer before she could get in there and help him. "It seems to made almost entirely of energy. Its the size of a small city but it only has the mass of a few people. But whatever it is, its giving off a lot of telepathic readings, which means that its alive. Its almost like its a non-corporeal mind, which would explain why its latched onto J'onn. He's the closest of all of us to its kind of existence."

"So how do we _unlatch _it?" Wonder Woman quickly pressed Batman for answers. "Whatever its doing to J'onn doesn't seem to be _healthy_."

"It looks like a cloud," Flash commented before Batman could answer. "Can't we just blow it away?"

"That's not as simple as it sounds," Batman was quick to answer Flash, still working away on the console. "We have to make sure we direct it accurately. We have to make sure that we don't make it collapse. We've no idea how that "cloud" will react if it comes into contact with anyone, and it's close enough to the Earth as things are. Keeping it in one piece will make it easier to keep all of it away from the atmosphere; if it breaks it would be so simple for some of it to make its way to the billions below. But you're right, repulsing it is the only choice we have. I doubt we have the time to modify the equipment to cut the telepathic connection directly, and we don't know what effect doing so would have on J'onn. It might wound him even more than doing nothing. We need to push it away and make the increasing distance steadily weaken its connection to him."

"So how do we _do _that?" Wonder Woman stressed the question. Batman may already be implementing whatever plan his brilliant mind would have come up with, but that didn't mean that she was happy to just sit by and watch him work. She would be determined to help fight the aggressor back even if it wasn't so badly hurting her friend. With J'onn in so much pain, that determination was even stronger. As if to firm it up all the more, she glanced back down at the collapsed Martian, who was still writhing and screaming as much as ever, seemingly completely oblivious to everything the others in the room with him were doing.

"So long as you haven't been taking things apart up here in the last months, I installed a device on the Watchtower and its satellites for deflecting meteorites if they come too close to the Earth," Batman answered, still working away. His work clearly required his full, uninterrupted attention. After what he had said moments ago, Wonder Woman figured that what he was doing was very delicate.

"You been watching Armageddon much?" Flash muttered in a rush, but both Batman and Wonder Woman ignored the comment, Batman continuing on with his explanation before Flash had even finished talking.

"It was designed for solid objects, not this type of thing. I have to be incredibly careful targeting it so that we don't break it apart and threaten everyone's lives, J'onn's included. I have to keep the repulsor hitting what part of that cloud is solid, minimising all contact with the vastness of pure energy that makes it up. The problem is it seems to know what I'm trying to do. It's somehow shifting its state. It's _moving _its solid core around within itself quicker than I can adjust the controls."

"Sounds like you need a guy with lightning fingers," Flash jumped in again, only this time far more literally. Before Batman knew it Flash had moved the short distance to be right at his side. Wonder Woman knew that Flash was right; he could hit the buttons quicker than Batman could. The only potential problem would be if Flash knew what he was doing. _No-one _knew the Watchtower systems as well as Batman, even if he hadn't been aboard it for months. He had built the thing, after all. Twice.

"You _know _what you're doing?" Batman said that with a growl and a glare, somehow still hitting the right buttons despite looking away from the screens for a second. Flash's knees looked like caving under it, but his words did not sound that way.

"Sure, just point and click right? Come on, Bats, I can do it. J'onn needs me to do it."

"Fine," Batman growled, making a split second decision with J'onn's ongoing screams the signal that he had no time to think about it. He stepped back, allowing Flash to jump in and take the controls. He took a second to get going, but then he was soon taking over Batman's work hitting the buttons.

However, in just those few seconds of the change over, Wonder Woman could see that the cloud had jumped forwards, even closer to the Watchtower. She suddenly had the impression that Batman's efforts had been what had made it stationary before. He hadn't been able to drive it off due to his slower hands, but he had been keeping it at bay. She had noted earlier that the cloud looked angry. Now she was convinced that it was attempting to surge towards them, towards _J'onn_. She didn't want to think about what might happen if it reached him.

She was distracted as she watched Batman move over to a different one of the control rooms many consoles, booting it up in a second. Rapidly, she was at his side, still nothing she could do directly to help J'onn, whose screams were beginning to weaken but only because their endless nature meant he had less air in his lungs.

"What about you and me? What can we do?" she was asking even as Batman began to get to work again. She hated this almost helpless feeling that she had. This wasn't the kind of threat that she was in her prime fighting. She hated having to keep asking for information and instructions. But it was the hand they had been dealt, and she would be damned before she would stop fighting, whether it was in a way she liked or not.

"We guide the kid," Batman answered. "We watch the sensors for him so that he can focus on the controls. We tell him if a part is breaking free or breaking through. We tell him if the solid core is moving without his notice. We make sure Flash doesn't fail. We're his safety net to prevent anything from going wrong."

"Hey! Fastest man alive, here! I can cope with the buttons!" Flash shouted out, clearly not liking the implication that he may need such help, even if he didn't truly argue about getting it. Wonder Woman noticed just how fast his hands were moving just before she began her part in all of this. She wasn't too happy about her role essentially being observational, but it was all she could do. Batman had the sensor screens up as quickly as humanly possible. Then there was nothing else for it but for the two of them to watch over Flash's desperate attempts to save J'onn.

She lost all track of time as both she and Batman got to work. It was intense stuff. She knew that they couldn't afford to miss _anything _on that screen. Flash was doing a good job, the advantages of his speedy hands compared to Batman's in this situation blatant. However, it was also clear that he needed Batman and Wonder Woman helping him out. His hands were more suited to this than Batman's, but he didn't have the brain to cope with all the things he had to cope with keeping in check. Thankfully, with her and Bruce in place, he didn't need such a brain.

The three of them were working as a perfect team. Both Batman and Wonder Woman were barking out instructions to Flash, whenever they saw a part of that energy cloud trying to curve around Flash's efforts, or whenever a part of it seemed to be tearing loose from the rest. Flash was quick enough to be able to compensate for what they were telling him and keep up his efforts against the rest of the cloud all at the same time.

It was a good job that Wonder Woman didn't really sweat, otherwise she had the impression that buckets would be pouring off of her right now, despite the complete lack of physical effort on her part. J'onn was still screaming, and time was ticking away. She did not know how long he could continue to take this, how much longer he could stand the pain before permanent damage was done. She didn't know if such damage had been done already. That meant that the tension was unbearable, especially with how stubborn this cloud appeared to be.

"They sure don't take a hint, do they?" Flash shouted out, despite continuing working. Wonder Woman spotted the twitch of Batman's brow, knowing he felt like chastising Flash for talking when he should be completely concentrating on what he was doing. However, she also knew that Batman held it off so as not to cause even more distractions. Instead he merely blasted out more instructions for Flash, instructions were quickly followed.

At last, Wonder Woman saw the cloud begin to move back. At long last, they were starting to push it away. At long last, what they were doing was starting to work. Hitting the latest target Batman had identified with the repulsors had finally overcome the cloud's stubborn resilience. It had finally beaten through its defence and resistance. It was finally starting to push the cloud back. Slowly admittedly, very slowly, but it was the first sign that what they were doing was actually working.

The cloud didn't look too happy about it either. Even without the usual forms of expression on it, that much was clear. It flashed even brighter white, almost as if throwing even more energy into keeping the repulsor beams at bay, as if trying even harder to get beyond them and get to J'onn. As if to signify an added effort, J'onn's screams got even louder again. Whatever that cloud was, it was really starting to make Diana angry for what it was doing to her friend.

"Flash, there's a chunk trying to get over the top!" she called out as she spotted a chunk of the energy cloud attempting to sneak around Flash's efforts, voice displaying that anger.

"I've got it, I've got it!" Flash returned indeed hitting the buttons. The chunk Wonder Woman had spotted was forced back as Flash sent a blast of the repulsors its way. The chunk sunk back into the main body of the cloud like a petrified animal.

But, as Flash continued rapidly altering away at the repulsor controls, that wasn't it. The cloud was getting pushed further away. It was going back more and more, actually speeding up in its enforced retreat. It was virtually to the point were it was only taking up half as much of the screen as it had been before the start of all of their efforts against it. Most importantly though, J'onn's screaming was lessening too.

The plan was working. They were doing it.

But Wonder Woman should have learned her lesson from a few minutes ago. Plans could so easily go wrong, and they so often did when you least expected them too. Right now, unfortunately, proved to be no different.

"Flash, to the left! Bottom left! And there's another chunk coming middle right!" Wonder Woman hollered out yet another string of instructions. To her, it seemed that the cloud was getting desperate. They were forcing it away from J'onn. They were forcing it away from the Martian it seemed so desperate to take hold off, forcing it to stop hurting him, whether that was a deliberate act or an unfortunate side effect. She was determined to make this last desperate move of it's prove futile. She was determined to guide Flash into stopping it.

"I see them! Consider them toasted!" Flash gave the confirmation that he had it, sounding quite pleased with himself for their actions. However, Batman suddenly shouted out in a way that definitely didn't share in Flash's optimistic pleasure.

"Wait! It's a decoy! They're coming fro–!"

Batman couldn't finish his sentence. There just wasn't the time. It was remarkable how quick a being of pure energy could move with nothing keeping it at bay.

What little Batman had managed to say proved to be absolutely right. The cloud had deceived them. Whatever it was, it must be fairly smart, smart enough to trick them like it had. The two assaulting strands that Wonder Woman had warned Flash about darted back into the main body seconds before Flash could hit them with the repulsor beams. It did so just late enough that the heroes hadn't the time to react to its true assault. Batman had tried to warn them, but there hadn't even been time to do that, let alone react to it.

A huge chunk of the energy blasted forward from pretty much everywhere that Flash _wasn't _keeping it at bay. There was no stopping it. It completely broke through all of their defences. It even managed to break clean through the Watchtower's hull without even scratching it. Being made of mainly pure energy, the solid barrier seemed to have no effect on slowing it, although all electric equipment in its path did start to spark and blow.

There was only the time for Wonder Woman's eyes to widen in horror as the pure whiteness suddenly enveloped the entire control room, not just J'onn. Herself, Batman and Flash were all caught in it too. What was more, once it had them, Wonder Woman found that she could move. Suddenly she was filled with an instant pain of her own. Suddenly she knew what J'onn was going through as her mind felt like it was being shred to pieces from the inside.

But it was all very sudden, _very _instantaneous_._ It only lasted a second before there was nothing left, before she completely whited out.

It only lasted a second before she was completely out of it. There wasn't even the time to curse their mistake before her mind completely shut down.

There wasn't even time for one last glance at Bruce.

* * *

><p>Green Lantern had been with Flash when they had heard the scream. They had both instantly recognised it as coming from J'onn up in the control room. Naturally, they had both immediately wanted to go see what was happening and do whatever they could to help. Being so much quicker than him, GL had let Flash go on ahead, so that J'onn could get help as soon as possible.<p>

But GL had been following on as quickly as he could. And he wasn't the only one. Several other heroes had heard the scream too. GL had wasted no time in telling the more junior or lesser powered members to stay where they were or to get the civilian workers clear of the potential danger zone, but he had given that order on the run. The rest of his fellow Leaguers were swept up in his wake, darting alongside him towards the control room as fast as they could all go. Shayera just happened to be the one who wound up right at his side on the charge.

They arrived just in time to see the sight that none of them had wished to see, but too late to do anything to stop it. The dazzling white light emerged from nowhere. It took hold of all four heroes in the room; Flash, J'onn, Wonder Woman and the returned Batman. And then it was gone, disappearing like a snake slithering clean through the wall, leaving nothing but wrecked electrical systems behind it.

As well as the now crumpled bodies of all four heroes.

As soon as that light had ceased to surround them, all four Founders had collapsed to the deck without a sound. None of them were moving. None of them were making any noise. None of them were displaying any sign of life.

John Stewart may have been pretty much avoiding Shayera for the past weeks and months as he desperately battled with his heart to try and figure out what it was in this world that he truly wanted, but in that moment none of that mattered. He couldn't stop himself from immediately looking down to her when he saw what could well be the end of four of his closest friends, already feeling the despair beginning to fill him. He found that Shayera was already looking straight back at him in precisely the same manner. Other heroes from their troop had already rushed forward, folks like Green Arrow charging in to check for signs of life in the still bodies of the four Founders, but John and Shayera were both equally frozen to the spot.

"It can't be..." she virtually whispered out all her fears in three words. GL very definitely shared the sentiment. He didn't want it to be true either.

But he also didn't see any way out of this. All four just looked so _lifeless_.

"They're gone," he whispered himself, so softly that he doubted she could hear him, his voice cracking with grief.

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN:**_

_Don't worry, I've not being a giant douche/turd sandwich with this. This is _NOT _the end, by any means. Stay tuned. All will eventually be revealed. In the meantime, review/follow/favourite as applicable, my good chums._


	6. Chapter 5: Darkest Light

**Chapter 5: Darkest Light **

"I saw you on the news again, you know," Lois commented as she took a swig from her cup. "You and you're superhero pals, out in the Pacific."

Superman had met up with her almost straight after he had teleported back down to Earth from the Watchtower. If not for the unforeseen event up there, he would have done so immediately, but Batman's sudden return slowed him down. He had taken a moment post-teleport to come to terms with it, to overcome the surprise he had had when he had gone up to the Watchtower and found Batman beaming up seconds later. His talk with Bruce could have perhaps gone better, but he was the same old Batman. It really had been just like old times again. It made Superman realise just how much he had missed his friend these last few months while he was away.

But no matter how happy he was about Batman returning to the Justice League, he didn't want to have Bruce Wayne occupying his mind right now. Now was one of those rare opportunities he got to spend some quality time with the single most important person there had ever been in his life. The life of a superhero didn't exactly offer up a lot of free time for this kind of thing, especially when said superhero was as powerful and public as he was. Now that he had a chance for said time, he didn't want to spend a second of it on any one else. He wanted to make the most of this time that he had.

It didn't help that Lois Lane, award winning reporter, was hardly out of demand herself. There was always something that she was busy working on. In fact, she had already told him that she would have to run off after not too long to go and get a story finished off for the morning papers. That meant that Superman knew he had to make the most of what time they had, even more than normal.

Of course, being such a well known public figure, especially one who was so loved and revered as he was, the options of what they could do with their time together were limited. They couldn't do a lot of the kind of things that normal couples did, not without wanting to spend the entire time swamped by adoring fans, mostly his but some of hers too. That was why right now they had wound up on another picnic watching over the city of Metropolis. Of course, Superman had flown them to a different place than he had done the last time. _That one_ hadn't been the most enjoyable or pleasant time. Superman was determined that today would go a lot better.

"It was a real mess after so much water hit but we think we've got everything sorted. It may take a while but people's lives should start getting back on track fairly quickly," he returned. "I'm surprised they got cameras out there so fast."

"If I've taught you anything I'd have thought it'd be that some of us mere mortals can be pretty good at keeping up with you," Lois rather cheekily responded, with Superman quick to pick up on her true meaning. Such thoughts made him blush. He really was, as folks so often told him, just a big, innocent boy scout. "Besides, the world of public journalism has to be fast, otherwise we'd always miss all of the juicy stories. I'd have thought you'd have learned that by now. We've been together for long enough."

Superman bit his tongue at that one, actually feeling a pang of guilt from deep within him. He still hadn't told Lois the whole truth. She couldn't know just how resonant her statement truly was. It may have been years since they had first met, he may have known for a huge chunk of that that he loved her, _she _may have known for a huge chunk of that that he loved her, but he still hadn't told her that Superman and her Daily Planet partner Clark Kent were one and the same. He just couldn't bring himself to do it. Not knowing helped to keep her safe, and Superman had no idea what he would do without her.

"It's because I prefer our quiet moments. Like this one," Superman said instead of what he was really thinking, not that those words weren't true too. "I prefer it when I have you all to myself."

Lois let out a quick, short laugh. "You old smoothy. Who'd have ever guessed that a guy who's stronger than a living tank would be a hopeless romantic at heart? I hope you don't talk like that in front of all those crazy villains of yours."

"No, but I don't exactly turn into Batman with them either," Superman answered with a shrug. "I just save it all up for you. There's no one else that I'd ever want to sweet talk like I do you. You're one of a kind, Lois. I'm really glad I have you."

"OK, flattery will get you everywhere, but stop it now because you know that we're gonna have to rap this up before too long and I'd hate for _anything _to _come up_ and delay me," Lois again responded in a way that made Superman blush, this time very visibly. Still, she did lean in and kiss him, which he returned until the second that she pulled away. "You just make sure that the world isn't coming to an end later on and then come say all that to me again. I promise that it'll be worth your while."

"I–"

Superman's reply was cut off before it had really begun. After what Lois had only just said, it seemed that someone out there had a _really _ironic sense of timing. His earpiece commlink had just gone off. Someone from the Justice League was trying to contact him, and he knew from experience that that almost certainly meant trouble. He could see Lois realise why he had suddenly stopped talking, along with the look on her face that followed. She spoke no words verbally, but her body language made what she was thinking obvious. It was just typical that the Justice League would need him_ now_. It also made it pretty clear that she was thinking that this interruption had better be important. He was sure that it would be, and there was no way on this Earth that Superman wouldn't answer the call, but deep down he was still feeling the exact same way.

"Superman here," he said, opening up the desired channel to the other hero who was trying to contact him. "What is it?"

"Superman, it's Shayera," the voice of the woman formerly known as Hawkgirl spoke directly into his ear so that he alone could hear it. Immediately Superman could tell that something was _definitely _wrong. Shayera's voice was a dead give-away. There was elements of urgency to it, of action, but those elements were small. They were very much dwarfed by something that Superman didn't like hearing there. It made his own shoulders drop in sudden fearful expectation, hearing all the signs of grief in Shayera's tones. "You need to come back to the Watchtower."

"What is it? What's happened?" Superman desperately asked as it seemed that Shayera could not say any more than that. Her tone made him want to ask "_Who?_" but he resisted. Doing so would be like confirming that one of his friends was dead already. He didn't want to do that, not until there was no alternative, and unless he was told otherwise, he would hang onto those alternatives. He couldn't afford to get carried away based just on a tone of voice.

"Just... Just get back up here," Shayera very simply answered him, telling him nothing. It definitely sounded like she couldn't bring herself to say any more than that. That point was made all the more clear as Shayera clicked off the comm before he could say anything more.

That made Superman's shoulders droop further. In a split second, his mood had completely changed. He looked up to Lois, who was gazing straight at him. The change in his body language had brought a very concerned look to her face. She might not be a Leaguer herself, she might not have met the vast majority of them, but she was still a compassionate woman, an empathic one. Anything that could sadden Superman could sadden her too.

And there was one other Leaguer who she knew, who she had once loved until discovering the truth of his identity. She still cared for deeply for Bruce Wayne. Not as much as she cared for Superman, but she dearly wouldn't want anything to have happened to him.

"I don't know yet," he told her before she could even ask him what was wrong, virtually reading the question in her mind. "But I've got to go. They wouldn't tell me what's happened, but they didn't sound happy. I've got to go find out."

"Go," Lois instructed him, giving him a peck on the cheek. Superman was grateful to her for that, for her own sudden change in body language. He knew he had to go. Lois not making that difficult for him showed that they really were perfect together. "I'll make my own way back. You make sure everyone's all right."

"I always do," Superman tried to lighten the mood, but it did nothing to help out either of them. At that he stood, touching a hand to his comm again. "Superman to Watchtower. Bring me up."

And then, with the flash of light, he was gone. He dearly hoped that when he arrived things wouldn't be as bad as he feared.

The evening had started so well, too.

* * *

><p>Others had not been so ready to give up on the fallen four as he had been. GL was chastising himself for doing so so easily, but that didn't change his opinion on things. He was still sure that he had just watched his friends die.<p>

But that didn't mean that he wouldn't still try to save them. Every one of them there knew that the only hope for Batman, Wonder Woman, J'onn and Flash was to get them to the infirmary and the medics, fast. With Flash out of action and Superman absent, that meant that Green Lantern was their best chance. With his power ring he could sweep them all up together and fly them away as one, so that was exactly what he did.

Shayera for one had clearly wanted to help him, but there was the small matter of that thing out there that had caused this to happen in the first place. They couldn't just ignore that, no matter what had just happened. They needed all possible hands on deck to make sure no one else wound up in the same state as Wonder Woman and the rest. They needed everyone they could get to get the computers working again, or at least enough to make sure everyone else was safe. That meant that no matter what Shayera or the others may want or feel regarding their four friends, getting them to possible help was Green Lantern's task alone.

And so he surged through the Watchtower's corridors as fast as he possibly could, the green bubble containing his friends carefully whipping around behind him. He made record time. Before he knew it he was setting all four of them down in separate beds as gently as he could in a hurry.

"What happened?" one of the doctor's was saying in a hurry, rushing over to see what was happening the moment Green Lantern entered the room. John recognised her as Doctor Susan Conway, a civilian medic who had been hired by the Justice League some time ago. Over those months she had proved herself more than able, for example being the one who had made sure that Shayera was able to fly again after she had been shot in the wing months ago.

"We don't know," GL rushed through his unfortunate answer. "_Something... _got them all. Some bright light burst into the Watchtower, shined around them and then... _this _happened."

He knew that his answer must have sounded silly. However, Doctor Conway was too committed to her duty to make any kind of comment about it.

"Then we're going in blind," Conway reacted to what she was told, her nurses already beginning to gather around her. She was stood over Batman's bed, with other doctor's sweeping forward to look after the others. Green Lantern knew why she had selected Gotham's protector as the one to examine. He was the one of the four without powers to help speed up any possible healing process. More specifically, and more worrisomely, Batman was also the one least likely to survive..._whatever _had happened to them. On paper anyway. "We need readings on all their vitals, stat! Let's find out what we're dealing with people! After all the times they've saved out sorry hides, we have to do whatever we have to do to save these heroes!"

Green Lantern wanted to stay close, he wanted to help, but he knew that he would just wind up getting in the way. That was why he stood back, letting the experts get to work. However, he couldn't bring himself to leave and to check in on the efforts of Shayera and the rest. He had to stay here. He had to find out if Batman, Wonder Woman and the rest were going to be okay, or if he had been right earlier.

He dearly continued to hope that he was wrong about their fate. He just still couldn't believe anything different after what he had seen.

* * *

><p>Superman could see the commotion going on all around him from the second he re-materialised aboard the Watchtower. There were plenty of people up there in the control centre, frantically working away. What exactly they were doing he couldn't be sure, but that wasn't what truly caught his attention.<p>

That distinction went to Green Lantern, or more specifically what he was carrying courtesy of his ring. Superman just caught a glimpse of them all before they disappeared down the many twisting corridors of the Watchtower. Flash. J'onn. Wonder Woman. Batman.

And all of them looked _lifeless_.

Now Superman understood why Shayera had sounded so distraught over the comm. It couldn't be. It just couldn't. Not them. Not any of them... Not Diana... Not Bruce...

It took a ridiculous amount of effort, but Superman forced his mind off of all that. He had to, at least for now. He had to make sure that everyone else was also going to survive it, that nobody else needed his help first. Then he could worry about the other four.

He looked back up to the control centre. With John already gone with the fallen four, it was easier to turn his attention back up there. Shayera was one of the Leaguers there at work. Mr Terrific was there too, as were Captain Atom, Green Arrow and the Atom Ray Palmer, all either furiously working the computers or else furiously trying to fix them. Yet more were up top too, the likes of Black Canary, Zatanna and Booster Gold, but they were all stood back as if spectating, keeping out of the way of those working on the controls and ready to step in as and when they were called upon. That was not something Superman could do.

"Shayera, Mr. Terrific, what can I do?" he called up there to them all, hoping not to break their concentration for too long. Shayera seemed to take a second to even realise she was being spoken too, she was so absorbed in what she was doing. Superman dearly hoped that that wasn't an attempt to forget any recent grief. In the end, Mr. Terrific beat her to speaking anyway, sounding remarkably in control. No wonder he was the Justice League's official co-coordinator.

"Nothing yet. We've got this. I'll call you if something comes up that needs your talents."

Superman saw what Mr. Terrific was really saying. There was nothing he could do there that couldn't be done by somebody else. They all knew that Superman's two closest friends in the entire world were most probably Batman and Wonder Woman, and he hardly disliked J'onn and Flash either. Despite the fact that they would _all_ be feeling the desire to go check up on them all, they could also recognise that for Superman that need was probably greater. What they were doing was offering him the chance to get to the Infirmary and to make sure that his worst fears weren't a reality. That wasn't a chance he was about to turn down.

With the others all so clearly busy, Superman did not distract them with any more words. Instead, he was simply gone. Flash wasn't the only one with super speed, and Superman utilised his to the full now. Before he knew it, Superman had reached the space station's medical bay.

The sight that met him there was hardly one that he would describe as pleasant. He could see all four of his stricken friends laid out prone in a string of gurneys, doctors and nurses dashing all about between them, looking incredibly hurried and busy. Things clearly were not good. Looking at the potentially devastating chaos meant that he had not even noticed GL stood in the doorway until he heard the other man speak.

"It's been like this since I got them here," John Stewart said, voice so flat it could be a pancake. "I still haven't heard any word on their... _conditions_."

"What happened?" Superman couldn't help but ask the question. No doubt it had been asked many times already, no doubt GL was probably asking himself it endlessly in his mind, but it didn't matter. Superman _had_ to know.

GL shook his head though. "We don't know. None of us do. They were up in the control centre, alone. The rest of us only arrived to see the very end, the flash of light and then..._this_. They're all working on the 'what', the 'who' and the 'how' up in the Monitor Womb right now, I think, but I couldn't leave these four here. I just couldn't. Not like this..."

Despite his own growing feelings of despair, Superman could not let his friend suffer alone. He laid a comforting hand on GL's shoulder. "I understand. If it turns out that there's anything either of us can do to help up at the controls, they'll call. Until then, _this _is where we're both needed. We have to look out for our friends."

GL opened his mouth as if to respond but no words got the chance to come out. He got very much distracted. Superman was too. It was at that moment that one of the Doctor's came walking over to them, clearly ready to deliver _some _news. Her fellows, however, remained busy with the fallen four. Superman held his breath, the tension incredible. It may have only taken seconds for Doctor Conway to speak after they had noticed her start walking over, but to Superman it felt like countless aeons had gone by.

"I don't quite know how to say this. They're technically alive, all of them."

Superman felt like jumping for joy. Then he heard Conway use the word 'but' and knew that he had to wait before celebrating. It was also then that he truly recognised the word 'technically' in the last sentence, having been too happy to truly hear it before.

"But that's not the end of the story like we might have hoped. We've got regular heartbeats from all of them, respiratory activity too. The problem is we're finding no signs of mental activity in any of them. It's as if whatever happened to them has left them all completely brain dead. We're hooking them all up to life support machines right now so that the rest of their organs don't start shutting down, even though that isn't even looking necessary just yet. With all the crazy things that happen around here I wouldn't put it past them somehow recovering on their own, or the rest of you finding some way to bring them back. But if this wasn't the Justice League I was talking about, I would say they were gone."

Superman had been right not to start celebrating. The four were alive, but that was about it. He had to tell himself that it was still too early days, that Doctor Conway was right and that with the Justice League _everything _could change. He had to tell himself that there was still hope.

"I'm sorry," Conway continued. "But we'll keep doing all that we can."

"Thank you, Doctor," Superman replied for both of them, but he was interrupted by his buzzing comm before he could say any more. Clearly GL's was going off too.

"Superman, GL you need to get back up here now," Shayera's voice rang out to both of them via their respective devices. "Things are happening up here. Very _bad_ things."

* * *

><p>"The wiring's shot in there. There'll be no fixing that one any time soon," the Atom announced as he leapt out from the innards of the console, growing back to his normal size as he did so.<p>

"Then the rest of them will have to do," Shayera was quick to point out. There was no time to waste scrambling around trying to make emergency repairs to gear that just wasn't going to be working again in their short time frame. Four of the Justice League's best were already at least in a serious condition right now. She and the others had to make sure that whatever had caused it was dealt with before it could do any more damage, and they had to do it fast. It was hard, but all personal feelings had to be cast aside until that was done.

For the five of them up at the controls, anyway. GL had already gone with the stricken foursome to the Infirmary, and they had just sent Superman after them too. No doubt quite a few other members of the Justice League were highly affected by what had happened and would also have to know if they were going to be okay. With the possible exception of Batman, the group were all well loved and respected by everyone, and Shayera knew first-hand that the main reason that Batman wasn't as well was because he didn't want to be, preferring intimidation to companionship in the vast majority of cases. Hell, Shayera herself would certainly be being badly affected by all this if it wasn't for the fact that she couldn't afford to be. She was the only one of the seven Founders left active up here. She had to take control, for the rest of the League's sake. All the Founders were looked up to as the leaders, as the bravest and the best. _One _of them had to see the rest through things, this moment included. Right now, that meant her.

"I reckon I'm getting something!" Green Arrow called out from beside her. He, like her, was working away at a console in the area that was remarkably undamaged – physically at least. Shayera's system in particular seemed corrupted. She was having to try and create all kinds of workarounds to access the systems. They hadn't even managed to find out yet _what _it was out there that had so damaged this chamber and the four who had been in it, let alone began to deal with it. Mr. Terrific, Captain Atom and the Atom had been busy at work trying to fix the devices and hardwire in new systems, while Shayera and Green Arrow got to work on the two consoles they had managed to get booted up again. At last, it sounded like they were getting somewhere.

"What is it?" Shayera asked in a hurry. "What have you got?"

"I reckon I found the fiend. It's still out there in space, not far off the hull. Visual should be coming up any second," Green Arrow answered her. That was a start at least. Other than that flash of light, none of them had even seen this thing yet. Shayera's first thought was that that light had been a weapon of some kind from some new alien invader, but the possibility did occur to her that the light _was _the invader. She had seen enough out there in her time after all, being a detective and a spy from a far distant planet. It wasn't an impossible notion to her.

But if the light was the attacker then, despite how it had looked, after what it had done it was the darkest light she had ever seen.

"Wait, wait, it's moving!" Green Arrow suddenly called out again. "I don't believe it, it's heading for Earth!"

As he shouted that, Shayera's system finally came back to life. She was finally in, immediately punching up the scanners. She saw instantly what Green Arrow meant. Mr. Terrific, the Captain and the Atom were all leaning over either her or Green Arrow's shoulders to get a closer look.

It looked just like a cloud, but from her readouts Shayera knew that it was no ordinary cloud. It was indeed made up of energy, with a relatively small, solid core. And it did indeed seem to be alive.

And it had most definitely begun to move off towards the Earth.

After what had gone before, after seeing what for all she knew could still have been the deaths of Flash, J'onn, Batman and Wonder Woman, Shayera was not going to let that happen. As far as she was concerned this thing had already proved that it was hostile. She may have been an alien herself, but the Earth was now very much her home, humanity her adoptive race. She would do everything in her power. She would do everything she could to protect them. The thought of them being endangered by this thing was already getting her mad up even more than the fall of the four heroes had already done.

"Can we stop it? Can we destroy it?" she called out for suggestions. She could see on her screen that while this cloud wasn't the quickest moving thing that she had ever seen it was still going to be hitting the Earth's atmosphere pretty snappily. They had to act fast. As Green Arrow had had more time to study this cloud thanks to his quicker working terminal, that meant he was now in the best position to play the part of tactician.

"Looks like Bats and the others were trying to drive it off with some sort of repulsor beam," Green Arrow began, words tumbling out of him in a mad dash. "We could try it again now, but it didn't exactly work for them. We might have to do this the old fashioned way and get back down to Earth."

Shayera's mind was racing. She was making a plan. Green Arrow was right. There wasn't really time to utilise the Watchtower against it. But that didn't mean that such time couldn't be bought.

"Right, here's what we do," she began instructing, making the others all start listening in very intently. "Mr. Terrific, declare an Omega level alert. All heroes you think have a chance in helping us drive that thing off need to beam down to the Earth immediately. We have to keep it away from the civilians and try and drive it back into space. _Somehow_. Arrow, no offence but I think you'll be pretty useless down there. I doubt a bow will do anything against that and you don't exactly have any powers to help out either. You stay up here with anyone in a similar situation. Do everything you can with the Watchtower to get that thing away from here. And get the all the League's magicians organised. I don't know how close to it they'll have to be but we could likely use their help with this."

"No offence taken, Ma'am," Green Arrow returned with a tip of his hat. "Me, T and the rest'll do our best. Good luck down below."

"Same to you," Shayera said back. "We're all going to need it."

She didn't wait any longer after that. A glance back at her screen had already told her that that energy cloud was now starting to touch air. More, from its trajectory the computer was predicting its likely destination; Metropolis. One of the biggest population centres on the entire planet. That all but confirmed it for her. This thing was sentient, and it was aggressive.

And it would pay.

With a flutter of her wings she hopped down from the control area, landing exquisitely by the teleporter pads. She had hardly touched down before she had her comm active and was warning GL and Superman. They were on their way, but the likes of Captain Atom, Booster Gold and Stargirl were already arriving at the pad around her. There was no point in waiting for the other two Founders. They could catch the next ride down.

"All right Arrow!" Shayera called back up to the comm area, determined to get back down there and stop this thing, _now_. "Energize!"

She just hoped that they were in time, that there was actually something that they could do. That the people could still be saved.

And of course, that a certain four were not lost to this thing already.

* * *

><p><strong><em>AN:_**

_I know a heck of a lot of you were hoping for some answers, but no, there weren't really any here. Don't worry though friends! You'll get them soon enough! This tale just has more layers to it than that main one that need telling. T__une in next week, though. There might just be something, or_ _some_one_,__ in Chapter 6 that you were hoping to hear of again today..._

_In the meantime, let me know what you think via more reviews, favourites and follows!_


	7. Chapter 6: Out of Body Experience

**Chapter 6: Out of Body Experience**

Slowly her eyes began to flutter their way open. Slowly she began to wake up. Her head was still killing her, but it was nowhere near as bad as it had been in that brief second before she had passed out.

Wonder Woman pushed herself up gingerly. She still had no idea what had happened to her, but she was as determined as ever that she would not be beat. That was why she leapt up into the air as soon as she could, fists held at the ready for whatever may be thrown at her. In that same instant, facing the unknown, she took in all of her surroundings.

This certainly wasn't the Watchtower any more. She had no idea where exactly it was, but the Watchtower it was not. It didn't look like any place that she had ever seen on the Earth before, either. For one thing, she had never seen rocks floating several feet in the air down there. The glistening sunlight wasn't so starkly red anywhere there either, even during the most photogenic of sunsets. Even the sands beneath them looked grayer and felt courser and than the norm. However, particularly with no signs of any aggressors around her, it was what was laid in those sands that truly caught her eye.

It was the others. J'onn. Flash. _Bruce_. They were all there, and they were all laid out prone. Whatever had hither, whatever had brought them all here, it had got _all_ of them good. However, none of them were waking up as she had done. Wonder Woman had not forgotten that her Gods-given endurance could easily have lead to her recovering from whatever happened quicker than the rest. She just chose to ignore that fact. She had to make sure for herself that all of the others were all right the old fashioned way.

That was why she flew straight back down into the sands and to Batman's side. It had to be him that she went to first. She cared about the other two deeply, but she _loved _Batman, regardless of his flaws. Perhaps even because of them.

"Bruce!" she called out his name as she landed in the sands beside him, feeling the grains warmth against her knees as she rapidly knelt by his head. She gently took his cowled face between her two hands, softly turning his head so that she was looking him right in the lenses that sheathed his eyes. "Come on Bruce, wake up!"

She scrambled to try and find a pulse, thoughts of the worst scrambling through her brain. Things weren't helped by the fact his strong armour stopped her from finding any veins, not without tearing his suit to shreds. What she did notice, though, was that he was still warm. That was a good sign.

Just seconds later, and just before his neck guard was about to be torn loose, Wonder Woman was feeling great relief as she heard the sounds of him stirring.

"I'm here, Princess," he said with a growl, obviously instantly recognising that it was her leant over him. He spoke softly, but there was enough to it to make it clear that he was relatively unharmed. His gauntlets moved up, gently removing her hands from his face as he pushed himself up to a kneeling position of his own. Wonder Woman kept a steadying arm around him regardless. "Are you all right?"

"I'm fine, Bruce," she quickly assured him, though she couldn't miss the irony. She was the one with the healing of the gods, and he, the mere mortal, was worried about her. It was typically Batman. Granted, he had enough compassion in him to care about anyone who could have been in danger, no matter how much he hid it, but Wonder Woman still felt almost like there had been more to his words with it being her they were said to. That made her smile. It helped her to momentarily forget that the two of them still hadn't had the reunion she had been waiting for, that he still didn't know if he was ready to move forward, _or not_. Then she remembered that this was not all about the two of them right now. No matter how much she cared for Bruce, she wasn't about to abandon the mission, or her friends. This was about more than just the two of them. She was an Amazon warrior, for Hera's sake. "Come on, we have to check on the others."

But, barely had she said the words than it turned out that they didn't have to act on them. They didn't even have to stand, let alone move over to where the other two lay. Barely had Wonder Woman said the words than Flash was speaking up behind them.

"Man, what hit me? I feel like I just took a double decker bus to the face... Woah, big guy, you've stopped screaming!"

Wonder Woman quickly looked across the sands. Just as what she was hearing implied, both of her two friends had woken up too. Whatever had happened to them, they had all made it here intact, wherever here was. And, as Flash had pointed out, J'onn had stopped screaming. He was still pretty much laid out flat, his face still looked twisted in pain, but he was conscious and his screams had gone. Now, not even a whimper was escaping him.

"The attack on my mind has..._lessened_," J'onn answered, not turning to look at the others. His voice sounded strained. While Wonder Woman's headache had now passed, clearly the influence of the energy cloud on J'onn's telepathic brain had not gone completely. Wonder Woman could therefore only assume that it was still relatively close by. That put her right back on guard again.

"Glad to hear it. Now where the heck are we?" Flash, typically, was able to fling himself up to his feet fast. With his speed, he even had time to run around the area, having a scout about to see what he could find before anyone else could respond. By the time he halted back in front of them, though, all that he had achieved was to kick up a miniature dust devil of sand. "This place looks totally wacky to me. _I_ certainly haven't been here before, except maybe once on a trip I took in college..."

That last comment was left forgotten. Even Wonder Woman had learned enough of Man's World now to know what he meant, and to know that he wasn't being serious. J'onn still wasn't moving, but both Wonder Woman and Batman had returned to their feet. Diana moved over to stand by Wally's side as he continued looking around, though Batman stayed where he was, studying the surroundings his own way. Wonder Woman left him to it. Flash's direct action approach was more her style anyway.

"I don't know it either," she answered him. "All I can say is a lot of places where we're _not_."

"_How _did we get here anyway?" Flash carried on with the questions. "Last thing I remember we were safe and sound in our space orbitter. How the heck did a flying light bulb get us out of there?"

"It didn't," Batman spoke up, so unexpectedly and forcefully that Flash almost leapt out of his skin. Wonder Woman quickly turned to face Bruce again. His back was to them at first as he stared out at the expanses around them, but that didn't last as he carried on. "I think we're still aboard the Watchtower. Or at least, I think our _bodies _are."

"You're not... Are you saying that we... Are we _dead_?" Flash stumbled around the words. He clearly didn't want to think about that. Wonder Woman didn't particularly want to either, not that she thought that it was true. It didn't take long for Batman to assuage any of Flash's fears.

"No, we're alive. Or at least we should be, so long as there wasn't too much damage to the Watchtower. We know that the cloud was made of practically pure energy, we know that it possesses strong telepathic abilities. I think that it somehow stripped our thought processes, our consciousnesses _away _from our physical forms. I think that when the energy of its light surrounded us, it somehow absorbed our minds. Right now, what we're seeing... I believe that its a projection, an image. So are our own forms here, all the gear that's come here with us, that's just our way of comprehending all this in a way we'd understand. I believe we're _inside _that cloud. Or at least, our thoughts are."

"Okay... You lost me at stripping," Flash muttered. He did indeed look confused. Wonder Woman wasn't overly clear on things herself, not that Batman hadn't done a decent job of explaining his point. It was just that what he was saying sounded so unbelievable. She couldn't see how it was possible. She didn't particularly want to. The idea of having her mind ripped out of her body was not one that she wanted to contemplate, especially as Batman was yet to make any comment about how to get them back. She certainly didn't know a way to do it.

"Batman is correct," J'onn softly groaned from the sands at their feet, drawing all attention back to him. After all, it was the first thing he had said since his _incident _had begun. He took a steadying breath before continuing, though. Wonder Woman knelt down by his side as he did so, as if telling him not to use excessive effort to make himself heard. Flash quickly followed her lead. Batman stayed exactly where he was, but he was always listening closely.

"Right, I know he's frustratingly right almost all of the time, but how is that possible _this _time? What he's saying's crazy!" Flash argued in J'onn's break between words.

"It was believed to just be a myth," J'onn began again, ignoring Flash's comment. Wonder Woman took his hand to further help him through this, as the big Martian was clearly still in a lot of pain. "My people have spoken of such a thing since ages long past. The Transcendence, they called it. It was said that if Martians died whilst in telepathic communication with one another, then there was a link keeping their thoughts in existence. Provided the mind wasn't instantly destroyed during death, it would remain connected with the others in the telepathic link. They would literally become beings of the mind alone. They would become thoughts consisting solely of the energy such thoughts create."

Once again, J'onn paused to recapture some much needed breath. Flash looked ready to jump in with another witty comment when presented the opportunity, but Wonder Woman took the chance from him with a shake of her head directed his way. She loved Wally's humour; it helped stop the darkness of what they all did from becoming overwhelming. However, she knew that now wasn't the time for it. They had to at least hear J'onn out first. With Flash taking her hint, J'onn was then able to continue on as soon as he felt able.

"It was long believed possible, but it was also never tested. The process of Transcendence was always said to work best with multiple minds contributing to the telepathic connection. But such numbers would never volunteer to sacrifice their physical existence on merely the chance that the Transcendence was real. However, there is no longer any doubts. It is not just a rumour. It cannot be. This energy '_cloud_' is the proof. It is the amalgamation of many deceased beings. It is the amalgamation of scores of bodiless minds. As Batman suggested, this place where we have found ourselves is an illusion they have created to give their realm a sense of normality, to make it so they can cope, comprehend and live as close to how they all did before they died. We are not alone in here."

"Wait, there's other _Martians _in here?" Flash blurted out in surprise. Wonder Woman never had the chance to keep him quiet this time. He jumped in before J'onn had even begun his latest pause.

"That is correct," J'onn answered, looking as if he had tried to begin a nod before deciding better of it. "I can sense them on my mind. And there's more than I can single out to count at this time."

"But I thought you guys are... were... are... _Whatever _they are, your lot loved peace didn't they? What're they doing attacking us all, even if they are just creepy brains these days? What are they doing attacking _you _like this?" Flash jumped in again. Wonder Woman wouldn't have stopped him this time. It was a question that had occurred to her as well, a very important one. The only answer that came to mind was not one that she particularly enjoyed.

"It was them that caused my pain to be debilitating aboard the Watchtower, yes," J'onn gave the actual answer. "But it was all in an attempt to warn me. I told you that my people believed Transcendence to be a myth. This is the first time such an event is ever known to have happened. They are still learning about the powers they have in their new form and way of life, especially regarding connecting to an outsider. They are still learning just how strong so many minds combined can be, particularly against someone else so attuned to telepathy. They harmed me by accident, overwhelming my mind. They are still doing so, albeit not quite to the same extent, though that could just be because we're now a lot _closer_. I haven't the strength compared to them to break through and tell them to stop."

"But why did they bring us in here? What are they trying to warn you about?" Wonder Woman couldn't help herself this time. She got in before Flash could. She had to hear the words. She had to know if they had another major fight on their hands. She had to know if she had guessed right.

However, it wasn't J'onn who answered this time. Batman did it for him.

"The Imperium."

Wonder Woman hadn't noticed, but during the talk Batman had walked over to stand right by their side. Right now he was looking down at them, and Wonder Woman could not stop herself from looking right back up at him. She _definitely _did not like where this was going.

"Hordes of the minions must have been there when the Martians Transcended. They would have been swept up in the creation of the cloud, just as we have been now. That's why the Martians in here had to warn J'onn. The Imperium will believe they are still at war with all Martians. The last fully living one would be a target they couldn't ignore. With their own kind long gone from the Solar System, J'onn gives them their best chance for answers and to get home, or to find a new one to _make _their home."

Wonder Woman heard Flash audibly gulp at that point. She knew why. She could remember the Justice League's last – and only other – encounter with the Imperium. Of course they had been regular, albeit alien, physical beings then. It had actually been the mission where the Justice League had been formed. They were the threat that had made Diana feel she had no choice but to leave Themyscira to help safeguard Man's World. They had caused her first meeting with Batman...

And they had tried to make the Earth theirs. They had tried to completely block out the sun that was so hazardous to them by ionising the entire sky. They had revealed nothing about their long term plans for humanity, but based on the weaponry they unleashed and their track record on Mars, it was pretty clear that it would not be good. If the human race wasn't enslaved they would have been wiped out. Thankfully the Justice League had found a way to stop them. The Imperium – named after their leader as they didn't seem to have a name of their own – had either been destroyed or had fled into the farthest reaches of space, their leader among the lost. They had not been heard from since, not even a peep. Their threat had been defeated.

Until now.

"And I have lead them straight to the Earth," J'onn added to what Batman had said, now sounding guilty as well as hurt. "I am sorry."

"J'onn! Don't even say that!" Wonder Woman reacted fiercely to that statement. She was not happy about what she was hearing, but they had beaten the Imperium once and she was sure, no matter the circumstances that they found themselves in, they could do so again. Regardless of all that, she would never blame J'onn for this anyway. "This is _not _your fault! You couldn't have seen this coming!"

"Besides," Flash backed her up. "It's not like you asked them here. Now come on, big guy, less mopey, more talky. How we gonna beat them this time? There a way for us to leave this cloud doohickey?"

"We..." J'onn began to answer him, but he got cut off. Batman interrupted him, his tone full of urgency. Looking up again, Wonder Woman immediately saw why.

"That can wait. We've got incoming!"

Batman had the explosive batarang removed from his utility belt, hurling it away before he had finished talking. It was almost like he had seen them coming before they had even arrived, but then he had been the one who wasn't focused purely on J'onn. It was a good job too. It meant the start of the first wave were taken care of before they could unleash any kind of surprise attack.

They came out of nowhere. They didn't walk in, they didn't fly, they didn't even crawl up through the sands. They just literally appeared from thin air. They looked almost exactly like Wonder Woman remembered, although perhaps they were even less solid. They were gelatinous in nature, albeit in a humanoid form, coloured a murky, patchy white. They were hardly imposing or intimidating to look at, but that was irrelevant next to what they were capable of. They were definitely not to be taken lightly. That was why Wonder Woman was glad to see the first batch all completely taken out by Batman's batarang, caught up in its explosive blast. The problem was that they were not alone. More were following in the wake of the first group, appearing just like their predecessors.

And Wonder Woman knew that Batman didn't have enough batarangs for all of them. They might not be physical beings any more, but the heroes were still in a fight.

Wonder Woman quickly leapt to her feet, fists raised, ready to charge at the aggressors. The Imperium had arrived a short distance away. Obviously they wanted to be seen first, they wanted the four to know what was coming for them, likely to try and weaken their resolve. That meant that Batman had the time to halt Wonder Woman's charge before it had really began, an arm thrust out across her path to block her off. Wonder Woman flashed him an angry glare because of it. Eight months ago he had forcefully kept her from a fight where the fate of the entire world was at stake, albeit to protect her. He was _not _doing that to her again. Wonder Woman was a warrior. She was_ going_ to fight. Thankfully, it turned out that Batman had not forgotten that aspect of her in his time away.

"Princess, guard J'onn," he commanded, drawing more weapons to fight the Imperium as he did so. "He's their target. Keep him safe. Flash, with me!"

He didn't wait to hear her reply. He was already leaping into action, already tossing another batarang into the throngs of villains surging towards them. Wonder Woman deeply wanted to chase after him, but she knew that he was right. Damn it, he was right. Tactically it made sense. _Someone _had to protect J'onn. In his current state he could hardly protect himself, and there was no guarantees that the Imperium wouldn't be able to find a way to him if there wasn't someone on guard. And Wonder Woman was the obvious choice. Of the three of them, she was the most powerful, the least reliant on being able to move. She was the one who could most be counted on to hold the ground around J'onn, the one who could be most relied upon to take everything the enemy could throw at her without having to get out of the way. Besides which, she couldn't abandon J'onn to these guys anyway.

But none of that changed the fact that she wanted to be in the heart of the action. She wanted to be right at the front-line. She wanted to be right at Batman's side, and to keep him by hers. There was no way of knowing for sure what their fate would be if they lost this fight, if the Imperium managed to "kill" them in here. It was entirely possible that the death of their illusionary bodies in this illusionary world could destroy the traces of their minds that now existed in the cloud. Wonder Woman did not want to be finding out if that was indeed the case. She wouldn't do at any time, but _especially _not when her eight month vigil was finally over.

Flash only paused to offer her a shrug before dashing after Batman and into the fight that was only seconds away.

"He's _definitely _back," he commented, before he became a blur. Wonder Woman couldn't resist a slight nod of her head before dropping back and taking a guarding stance above the still prone J'onn.

But she kept her eye firmly on the battle as much as she possibly could. She kept her eyes on Batman.

This was definitely _not _how she had hoped their long-awaited reunion to go. She could only pray that the fates – or Bruce himself – were not about to take those hopes away from her.

* * *

><p>Flash was on top of the attackers in no time at all. He hit his targeted Imperium soldier the same second that the batarang struck the next one along, both enemies falling but not staying down for long. Flash, however, kept on running, sending punches into all the soldiers that he could as he went, not staying still for long enough to give them an easy chance of striking back. These guys didn't have the guns that they had back during that first encounter, but Flash remembered that they could still pack one hell of a punch without them. At least they could when they weren't just imaginary... or whatever, <em>mental beings<em>. There was no way that a mere bunch of brainwaves could punch him, was there? _Surely_.

Still, this was a fight, and to win it Flash could only think to fight it like any other, so he kept on hitting the Imperium while avoiding getting hit himself. Unless Bats or J'onn came up with another gem about this place that was all he _could _do.

Another batarang sizzled past Flash's ear. It was an explosive one again, catching the Imperium who had been lined up as the next victim of a Wally West sucker punch. Flash only just had time to react and change course so the short-lived fires didn't lick at him too.

"Flash, watch out! You're getting too close!" Batman's voice sprang out from somewhere behind him, punctuated with grunts of effort. He was clearly engaging the Imperium himself, locked in a fist fight, featuring gadgets, that Flash couldn't see. Flash, however, felt more annoyed than concerned. That guy had been his. Instead, he very nearly got flames to the face.

"Relax!" he called back without looking, just carrying on with his rampage. More and more of the bad guys were being turned to goo by his flying fists, the equivalent of knocking them out. Of course, they could well be doing their _Terminator 2_ act in no time once they had 'woken up', but every long moment that they were just a mess in the sands was a long moment that they weren't attacking. Do it enough times and these guys would be beat. "I mean, come on! You said yourself that all this is in our heads. They can't _really _hu–!"

Flash really hated irony. It always had a way of biting him right on the ass. He hadn't even got the word out when one of those amoeba-like villains finally managed to hit him, clotheslining him across the chin. He had gotten too cocky. He hadn't seen it until it was too late. He was sent sprawling, flying off of his feet and skidding across the sands.

But that wasn't the bad part. He could quickly get back up again, he could quickly start running again. The bad part was that getting hit like that hurt. It _really _hurt.

He had been wrong. It didn't matter that they were just an image created by their minds. It seemed that here, inside the cloud, the projections had essentially created a physical form, or at least gave them all the sensations of one. Pain was definitely a part of that. Right now, Flash's chin was throbbing.

Worse, falling like he had had allowed the Imperium to gather around him, encircling him. It may have been easy for Flash to haul himself back to his feet before another blow could come in, and it may have been easy for him to _start _running. But all that was useless if there wasn't somewhere where he _could _run. These guys had him trapped, they had him completely cornered. Any direction that he ran, he would just run straight into one of them, and now Flash didn't want to be doing _that _again. They could pack a real wallop for a bunch of ghosts... With the circle around him getting rows deep, Flash's eyes widened in fear, desperately looking for a way out of this. He had learned the hard way that even in the cloud he could be wounded. He didn't want to also find out if he could be _killed _in here.

Thankfully he didn't have to find out. The head of the grapple burst through a line of the Imperium like an alien through John Hurt, latching on hard to the last in the line in place of displaced gooey innards. One hard tug was all it took for the entire line of Imperium to fall like a bunch of pins during a strike. Like with Flash, unless more damage was done to them they wouldn't be staying down for long, but that clearly wasn't necessary. They hadn't been toppled to be beaten. They had been toppled to provide Flash with a way out. The line of fallen soldiers gave him a perfect escape route from his predicament, a perfect path out of the entrapment.

And it was an escape Flash quickly took, running right over the top of all those fallen Imperiums. His feet almost crushed them all as he ran, particularly due to his speeds. An added bonus. Perhaps those ones would be staying down after all. Flash actually smirked a little before skidding to a halt beside Batman, although not before punching away an Imperium that had been allowed to get a bit too close to the broody guy, no doubts as a consequence of him giving Flash his way out.

"I told you to be careful!" Batman chastised Flash with a furious growl as the two wound up back-to-back, looking at the hordes of Imperium still around them. "Its entirely possible that you could get killed in here. If you do then your mind will be lost forever! You'll be dead in every sense of the word!"

"I got it!" Flash firmly stated back, rubbing his throbbing chin for emphasis. His own voice wasn't exactly sounding light-hearted in that moment. He didn't like being treated like a misbehaving child, even if he did know it was Batman's way of showing he cared, that he wanted to protect Flash. That he counted Flash as a friend. "We can't do this the simple way. So what's your _better _plan then?"

Batman threw a punch as another Imperium got too close. With the two back-to-back, that meant that Flash was able to look beyond as Batman occupied the nearest attacker. He could see that some of the Imperium had gotten through their two man line of defence. Not surprising really, especially given that hiccup he had just had. Wonder Woman was fighting them, doing a remarkable job of keeping any and all of them away from J'onn in the fleeting look Flash took.

His attention was quickly brought back to his own fight as another Imperium came charging at them, this one more his side than Batman's. Whirling his hands in rapid circles, he created a gust that blew the alien away. It landed a fair distance away, right against one its fellows, causing one heck of a splat. However, they were also reforming near instantly, sped along by the narrow spread of their materials.

"To stay alive," Batman finally growled a very simplistic answer to Flash's question, causing Flash to look at him with a '_that's it?_' kind of expression on his face. He wanted to actually say those words, but he didn't get them out before Batman was diving against some more charging Imperium, tackling them to the ground before they could run past and on towards J'onn and Wonder Woman. Just seconds before he did so, Flash noticed that Batman was very intently checking up on those two with a glance of his own.

However, Flash was then left to just get on with it. There were plenty of Imperium left to get rid of. There was plenty of fighting left to do. So back into the throngs of the horde he ran, only this time, he would be more careful.

* * *

><p>Wonder Woman sent her fist crashing into yet another Imperium soldier, before performing a flying back flip through the air to stop another one before he could attack J'onn. The big Martian was trying to get up to help her, but all he had done so far was to cause his pain to momentarily heighten and make him let out another quick scream. It was all up to Wonder Woman to keep all the Imperium from him that had made it past Batman and the Flash.<p>

And she was doing a damn good job of it too. She wasn't up against the same kind of numbers that Batman and Flash were, but then she also wasn't covering anywhere near so much ground. Her fighting was more compact, and so it felt all the more intense. Hera, these Imperium seemed to really want to get their hands on J'onn. Almost inevitably, it indeed seemed like they wanted to kill him. Wonder Woman would not let that happen. She would guard him to the end, just as she would anyone worthy of such protection. She would give it every ounce of strength she had, every last breath if that was what it took.

But that didn't mean that she also wasn't keeping one eye on Bruce. Whenever she could she cast a glance his way, to the only man who could, and would, ever truly capture her heart.

The one man who had yet to confirm to her that she could also still have his...

"Diana..." J'onn groaned up, catching her attention instantly.

Wonder Woman finished sticking her fist through the 'head' of the last Imperium soldier close enough to J'onn to be an immediate threat before turning to him. For one brief moment she was scared that she had missed something, that perhaps she had been so distracted with her current targets that a soldier or two had snuck past her to J'onn. Thankfully that turned out to be paranoia. However, when she did turn back to the pained Martian, she certainly didn't get an overly pleasant surprise.

"The cloud, I can feel it..." J'onn resumed, croaking out the words. "It's moving. It's heading for the Earth. Diana, it's attacking... We have to stop it, now. We have to get out of here..."

She didn't have time to react straight away. More Imperium were drawing near, ready to attack like the others. Wonder Woman whipped her lasso from her hip, swinging it around them with great precision just before they could arrive. Pulling it tight, she was able to make them fall, cutting deep into their not entirely solid bodies. That made it easy for her to sweep forward and pound them all out of the fight.

The instant she was done, though, she was back to J'onn's side. _Now_ she could react. Now she could show her worry at such a thought. The Imperium attacking them were still too numerous. There was no way _to _get away from them, never mind stop and figure out a way to affect the very cloud that now contained them.

"Then we're in trouble," she muttered, looking out at the hordes again. As she did so, for the briefest of moments she caught Batman looking back to her in between Imperium aggressors. For that moment, their eyes locked. She knew that in hers Batman would be able to read that worry, along with the determination not to give up, to keep fighting. She also knew that he would see how glad she was to at least be facing this with him back at her side.

But she could see nothing in his. With his lenses covering his eyes he was giving nothing away. Eight months was really a very long time when she thought about it. It was time for plenty of things to change, for _opinions _to change, for promises to be broken...

She quickly cast such thoughts from her head. Now was the time for worry of a different sort. There wasn't time to be selfish right now, even if such worries were true and not just paranoid delusions. Right now, the world needed them. The rest of the Justice League might be able to stop the cloud from the outside where they had failed, but she very much had the sense that they were in the best position to act, to somehow take this thing down from within. Right now she had to give all her efforts to the fight, to finding some way past these Imperium soldiers so that they could get to work saving the world again. And that wasn't even mentioning finding some way to get their minds back into their bodies.

But that was all easier said than done.

"Indeed. We _all _are," J'onn agreed with her comment. More Imperium were almost upon them. Wonder Woman braced herself to engage them again, but not before J'onn had added three simple words. "Very _big _trouble."

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN:**_

_So there you go. They ain't dead yet – and neither are plenty of certain aliens who were long thought gone. Be honest now, how many of you predicted it?_

_Review/follow/favourite away, but particularly the first one. Last few chapters too if you haven't already. 'tis all greatly desired and appreciated. _

_In return, you'll soon get to see what happens next (though still likely in about a week, despite the use of puppy eyes by some - apologies), as that cloud starts to show the Earth how bad storms can really be. These four ain't the only ones with a battle on their hands. _

_And this thing is only just getting started..._


	8. Chapter 7: Land Downunder

**Chapter 7: Land Downunder**

Shayera instantly felt the air whipping all around her as she re-materialised up high in the skies above Metropolis. For the briefest of seconds she began to fall before her wings caught her, steadying her where she was. She gripped her mace tightly as she looked around, having to use her free hand to hold her hair out of her eyes. At this altitude the wind speed was well up there, with a very nasty chill to it. That, though, she could ignore. There were a lot of worse things than her catching a cold that could be about to happen.

She spotted the others all materialising around her, every single Leaguer available who possessed the ability to fly. It ought to have been an impressive sight, so many superheroes arriving so quickly in such a relatively small spot, ready for battle. Fire, Steel, S.T.R.I.P.E., Rocket Red, Red Tornado, The Ray, Doctor Light, Aztek, and that was just some of them who were beaming in. Of course, Captain Atom, Booster Gold and Stargirl were the first to be right there with Shayera having shared her ride down here. That meant that they, like her, were able to watch the terrors of that energy cloud's arrival only seconds after their own.

In fact, it was the sound that hit Shayera first, drawing her eyes to the right part of the skies even further above her. It was a roar of thunder, an incredible noise no storm could compare to. The sudden impact of such pure energy with the particles of the atmosphere did that. It wasn't like a single bolt of lightning being unleashed either. This was constant, an endless stream of power coursing through the air. The noise didn't keep up the same volume, but the roar didn't stop. It was almost as if the cloud was trying to tell the whole world that it was coming, and that they should be afraid.

It wasn't exactly a comforting sight to look at, either, once Shayera had the cloud spotted. It suddenly looked far darker, far more aggressive than it had from space over a video screen. It still looked like a cloud, but definitely a dark one. What was more, the pulsating glow remained but Shayera could now see what was causing it. Lightning-like lines of energy were coursing all around its surface, trailing around it in endlessly changing patterns. Not only did the energy look dangerous enough just being there, but it also looked as if it could be fashioned as a weapon and a shield all at once. It looked like it would be a line of defence that may well soak up any attack unleashed the cloud's way. The whole cloud was massive too, already dominating the sky despite still being some distance away. It certainly looked like it could easily swallow up half a city in one go if it was left unabated, and it also certainly seemed like that was its aim.

The thing was moving closer, slowed by the atmosphere but it was still moving. Just as the Watchtower computer's had predicted, it was moving to were the assemblage of heroes hung in the air, right in its path to Metropolis down below them. The thing was definitely attacking, and it had proved the damage it could do using virtually the strongest of examples. It didn't matter how tough it looked, how tough it _was_. For the sake of so many, it had to be stopped.

Shayera was determined. It shall not pass.

She started making plans in her mind. They had maybe a few minutes before that cloud was on top of them, looking at the speed it was moving. Shayera wracked her brains fast. The quicker she had the plan, the quicker _they _could close the distance to fight back and, as such, the further they could keep this thing from the millions of citizens in the city below. Ultimately, that thought made her plan for her.

All the members of the Justice League knew their own powers implicitly, knew what they could each respectively do. They all knew the risks, knew from having seen what happened to Batman, Wonder Woman, Flash and J'onn what this cloud could do to them if they weren't careful. They also all knew the stakes, knew just how much was in danger if they didn't do everything they possibly could to stop this thing now. They wouldn't need instructing. With no history against a foe like this there was no bank of knowledge to draw upon to help guide them to victory anyway.

Therefore, for Shayera the best choice of action was for them all to just unleash, and to unleash now. So that was exactly the order that she gave.

"There's no time to waste people! Attack!"

She wasn't just talk either. She didn't wait around for the others to lead the charge. She was the one and only Founder here. She was the one that they would be looking up to, the one who needed to be setting the example, and so she did. She lead the charge herself.

Shayera gripped her mace tight as her wings were flung back, sending her surging upwards and onwards as fast as she could fly. Even over the sound the cloud was still creating, she heard the crackle as her mace's own power built, saw the light of its own energy casing coming into existence. There were many things that her powerful Nth metal mace had destroyed, many things which had otherwise seemed relatively indestructible. She was determined to prove this cloud to be another of those things. She could tell without looking that the others were hot on her tail, but she was definitely going to be the one to attack first. It may well be wishful thinking, but Shayera still hoped that she alone would be enough.

It didn't take long to cross the distance. Soon she was quickly having to halt her charge, not wanting to fly straight into the approaching chaos, actually having to slowly fly backwards so that it's approach didn't swallow her up. She wasn't wanting to wind up like the four laid out, possibly dead, up on the Watchtower.

This close, the noise was increasingly deafening from the cloud. Shayera, though, blocked it all out. She made her own noise. She unleashed a furious yell as she hurled the fully charged mace at the cloud–

Only to have it pass right through...

It didn't do a thing to slow or damage the cloud, not a damn thing, despite discharging all of its built up power. Shayera quickly and distraughtly had to pull her mace away before the encroaching cloud got hold of her hands. In fact, she had to fly back entirely. It turned out that she needed a plan after all. If the mace did nothing, then there was nothing she could do. She could hardly punch this thing. That would _definitely _take her out of the fight. But she also wouldn't give up. No, now she had to provide the back up to the rest. She had to hope that one of them would have more luck.

As she flew away, still facing the cloud every part of the way. She began to look around, began to check up on all the rest, desperate to see them being more successful and that she wouldn't have to risk doing something totally desperate and stupid. She could see Red Tornado trying to blast the thing away with his aerokinesis, Stargirl shooting at it with her staff and Fire trying to burn it all away and break it apart with her flames. to name just a few of the efforts.

But she didn't get the chance to study it in too much depth. It was then that her comm link buzzed. She only just heard the sound over the roar of the cloud, quickly flinging a finger to her ear to activate the comm. She was hoping it was good news. She was hoping the Leaguers still on the Watchtower had found a way to use it to save the day. She was dearly hoping that she and the others in the skies wouldn't even be needed.

"Tell me it's good news!" she had to shout out so that whoever it was on the other end could hear her. "We sure could use some down here!"

Green Arrow's voice rang back to her. It sounded like he was definitely busy working away while talking to her, which at least meant that those on the Watchtower were still trying _some_ things out to stop this cloud still glaring before Shayera's eyes. Still _angrily _glaring. However, Arrow's voice had no traces of victory, no joy to it. There were no signs that he was pleased, that the world was saved. Instead, there was only traces of the opposite.

"We could use some up here too," the comm mimicked Arrow's voice, faint over all the other noise, definitely glum. "Nothing that we've tried has worked yet, and we've tried plenty so far. We'll keep going, though. I called about something else. The marines are on their way."

"And what are _they_ gonna do?" Shayera growled back. "Bullets and bombs will just pass straight through this thing if my mace did! And if it can alter the part of it that's actually solid like the scanners said they'll have no chance of doing anything!"

"The people have to try _something_," Arrow pointed out in response. "They can't just sit around on their asses every time and wait for us to do all the saving for them. I've shared everything we know with them, anyway. Don't worry, they know what's going on. They know this isn't something that they can shoot their way out of the old fashioned way. They're the last line of defence in case the Justice League can't stop this cloud. And they're there to try and get the people of Metropolis as clear as they can as fast as they can."

_That _made sense. Sometimes Shayera could get so lost in what she was doing that she lost sight of the overall picture. Now had been one of those times. She had been so caught up in stopping the cloud that she hadn't thought of contingencies. If Metropolis was the cloud's target, then they had to get the people out. They had to get them clear and hope that the cloud wouldn't just follow them. _That _the military could take control of. Them doing so meant that the Justice League didn't have to give up any excess manpower to do it themselves.

"Good," Shayera muttered, the earlier anger in her voice lessened. Of course, it wasn't gone entirely. It never was in the face of such a potentially dangerous fight as this. "We'll try to hold this thing off as long as we can at least. _Hopefully_ we'll do more than that."

"Ditto, sweetheart," Green Arrow returned, matching her tone. "And if we've got anyone to spare up here we'll send them down to lend the military a hand. Just so you know, your last pieces of back-up are on their way."

Even as he was saying it, Shayera saw the two flashes of light off to the side, even against the backdrop of bright blue where the sky wasn't tainted by the energy cloud. She didn't need to turn and give it a proper look to know who it was, but she did so anyway. GL and Superman wouldn't be missing this.

She had barely turned her head when Superman was charging in to join the rest assaulting the cloud. Of course he would be fighting even harder than _anyone _else there or anywhere else. This went far beyond the fact that he was the single most powerful being on the planet. It was because it was _his _city down there at risk, the one that he had protected from the day he had created the mantle of Superman.

GL however, hesitated before charging in himself. Shayera caught sight of him looking around rather desperately, and she immediately knew why. Her feelings on _that _situation were hazy. They had been for a while now. She loved John Stewart. She had done for years. During her self imposed exile and while he was so firmly with Mari, she had never stopped loving him. Even now she hadn't stopped, despite John managing to piss her off like no-one else ever could with his new-found inability to decide what it was that he wanted. One second it seemed like they were set to get back together, then the next he would make it seem impossible. For too long that had gone on. It was making every day a chore for her. She still loved him, she wanted him back, but everyday he played her on only to change his mind made her want to unleash her mace into his rugged face. It didn't help that she was falling for it every single time he did something that suggested to her that he still loved her too.

And right now was one of those moments. He was checking that she was all right. It was only after he had spotted her and the flash of relief crossed his face that he joined Superman in leaping into the throngs of the fight.

Damn that man for doing this to her. Damn him.

"I see them, Arrow," she forced herself to say, failing to hide _all _the emotions that were racing through her from her voice. "I've got to go. Things are getting pretty hairy down here. We need all hands to the pumps."

"Same here," Arrow repeated. If he had registered that there was a completely different reason that Shayera wanted to end the conversation, he wasn't showing it. If he had realised that just that fleeting glimpse of John Stewart had made her want to go and bash..._something_ apart in rage, he didn't let on. "Give it hell."

Green Arrow then clicked off the comm before Shayera could do it from her end. She paused for a moment after that, allowing herself time to react. She had to get at least some control back before the anger that had built up in her meant she did something foolish. However, such efforts were futile as soon as she saw the green light being flung against the darkness of the cloud. Just seeing that part of John Stewart had her fully pissed off all over again.

There was nothing else for it. She would have to fight angry. If it were any normal fight that would surely spell doom for her enemy, would mean there would be no stopping her from tearing them limb from limb should she so wish.

But this wasn't a normal fight. In this fight, she could only hope that the anger would be enough to keep them alive.

And from the way that she now noticed that the cloud was still moving forwards despite the Justice League throwing everything at it, she could not prevent the thought whizzing through her head that that was a rather slim hope.

* * *

><p>"Lane!"<p>

The well familiar voice of Perry White reverberated around their floor of the Daily Planet. Lois instantly looked up to see him staring across at her from the door of his office, the excited look on his face that he had whenever there was a big, multiple paper-selling story happening out there. However, Lois had actually beaten him to it.

"Big, scary cloud in the sky being engaged by the Justice League. I'm already on it, chief!" she called back to him. She had plenty of her own sources out there. She didn't need to rely on Perry White's to hear before the public that the government were dispatching the marines into the city. She had got the call just moments ago, literally the very second after she had finished typing up the other story she had been working on. Of course, this one could well make that one pale in comparison. She didn't understand how a _cloud _could be so dangerous as the situation was making it seem, but it was her job to find out.

Besides, she had a personal stake in this too. She had no firm knowledge as to what it was that had gone so wrong that Superman had had to cut their date short so solemnly, but now she definitely had the impression that this _cloud _had something to do with it. More than to just to get her hands on what could be a Pullitzer worthy story, she wanted to be on this so that she could keep a close eye on Superman and make sure that he didn't get himself into trouble. She wanted to be on this story to find out what had gone so wrong before, to make sure the _other _member of the Justice League that she had once been very close to was all right as well.

"Good, because if the marines are needed as well as the Justice League, this ought to be one heck of a danger. The people will want to know all about it!"

"I said I'm on it, chief," Lois returned again, fully understanding the situation here. It was the very fact that it wasn't just the Justice League involved that had her so nervous, that had her starting to worry about Superman and the rest. There wasn't much that they couldn't handle alone. If they couldn't now, then this thing, whatever it really was, _must _be tough. "I'm about to hitch a ride now to go and get a closer look."

"Keep me informed," Perry returned to her, not wasting any time. He had been in the journalism game even longer than she had. He definitely knew how it was played. When news was breaking there wasn't time to stand around discussing it, not when you could be on hand witnessing it. That was why at Lois' words he slunk back into his office and left her to get to work. His head had only just ducked back behind the door frame when Lois began dialling her phone. After only a couple of rings, her call was answered.

"This is Snapper Carr. Make it quick, I'm in a hurry," the voice of the well known TV reporter spoke up out of the receiver. He indeed sounded as if he was in a rush. Just from what she had heard from those couple of seconds Lois couple deduce that he was talking while on the move.

"Snapper, its Lois at the Planet," she returned, wasting no time herself. "I know you'll have heard about what's going on up in the skies. I know you'll be getting in your helicopter to go and get some pictures, to report live from the scene. I want in. I want a seat on your chopper."

"I'm not giving up my story, Lois," Snapper quickly responded, no time for etiquette and pleasantries.

"I'm just asking to be an observer," Lois immediately attempted to assuage what was clearly the stumbling block in Snapper's mind. "I know you'll be getting the best view of this thing that civilians can get. I want to be there to see it. I'm not interested in sabotaging your report. I'll sit quietly in the back so long as I can see. Papers are my game. I'm more than happy to leave TV to you."

Snapper paused, in speech anyway. It was clear that he was still walking as he mulled over the offer. "Fine. We'll pick you up from the roof of the Planet ASAP. But I'll hold you to what you said. Just so you know, I'm agreeing to this because I'm expecting to be able to go even closer now with you aboard, what with your good buddy Superman always around to save you if something goes wrong."

"Just tell the pilot not to get so cocky he's acting stupid," Lois answered, though she was glad. She had her ride. "I'll be waiting by the time you get here. See you soon."

Snapper didn't wait to see bye. The phone was already clicking off. Lois quickly reset her receiver, grabbing up a pen and paper as well as a camera, knowing that Snapper wouldn't be so willing to offer up a second seat for a proper photographer. She didn't wait any longer than that. She just stood and swept her way out of the room, heading for the stairwell to the roof.

She knew that this ride would likely be dangerous, but then a lot of things were in the life that she led. She had long since proved that she could cope with danger, _especially _with the friends she'd made over the years. This danger now was just another she would overcome for her own cause. She would find out what was going on up there, and she would keep her watchful eye on the heroes she cared about.

One in particular, even if he still hadn't gotten around to telling her the obvious truth.

* * *

><p>It didn't take long for it to become apparent to Superman that the others hadn't had any success yet in the time before he and Green Lantern had arrived. Some things were slowing the cloud down slightly, such as the winds created by Red Tornado or the radiation given off by Captain Atom. However, nothing was stopping it. The cloud just ended up moving around whatever the Justice League threw at it, or powering its way through. It was insatiable, irresistible, relentless.<p>

And things hadn't changed one jot since the two of them had arrived, either.

Superman's first choice when facing a foe for the first time was always to try and talk them down, to find out what the villain actually wanted and to see if there was a peaceful solution that all could be happy with. His second was always to let his fists do the talking, to unleash a reasonable amount of his almighty strength to show the foe that he, the Justice League and the Earth were not to be messed with.

But right now neither of them were an option, not while he still had some of his sanity left. That left his other powers as his only real choice. The problem was that neither his freeze breath nor his heat vision did a thing to oppose it. Neither did flying around the cloud at maximum speed to try and create a whirlwind to blow it away. The cloud always managed to adjust its energy or shape to undo whatever it was Superman tried, be it to melt a frozen chunk or to power past any vortex of swilling air.

Green Lantern wasn't having much better luck either. His power ring was creating a barrier big enough to run the entire length of the onwards crawling cloud. It worked to some extent; the cloud was completely unable to power its way through the light. However, the cloud wasn't stopped by John's ring either. It just pushed on against it, keeping moving, shoving John Stewart on ahead of it despite all the incredible will power John was putting in to stopping it.

After yet another effort to use his mighty breath to blow the cloud away had failed, even though this one was in conjunction with Red Tornado doing likewise, Superman flew back for a second to take in the bigger picture. Shayera wound up doing the exact same thing at the exact same time, flying so that she hovered in the air right at his side. Together they could see the rest of the Justice League continuing on with the various efforts, increasingly through joint ventures, with John still battling away against it with his ring.

"It's definitely slower," Shayera was the first of the two of them to make a comment. In itself that sounded like it was a good thing, but such surface truths rarely held when you looked at the situation a little deeper.

"But we're already throwing everything against it," Superman voiced those issues. "And it's not close to stopping yet."

He looked back behind him after saying that, in the direction of the cloud's path. In all his various efforts against the cloud, Superman had been sure to move with it, to keep himself from getting caught up in it. If Wonder Woman and J'onn could be so affected by it with all their respective durability, then he could easily be too, even if he did have slightly more. He couldn't risk going in there, not when he couldn't be sure if his chances of success were any greater than remaining on the outside.

The thing was though, with the cloud pushing him and the Justice League endlessly backwards, they were now getting dangerously close to Metropolis. Superman could now easily make out the world famous globe atop the roof of the Daily Planet, without even having to focus with his various vision enhancements. The entire city was getting closer and closer to being swallowed up by this thing. All those people couldn't just fly out the way like the Justice League heroes were having to do. Millions of people were getting very close to at least falling into the same state as Wonder Woman, Batman, the Flash and J'onn, if not worse.

Millions of _his _people. Lois included.

They _had_ to stop this thing.

"We have to try something new," he added to his previous statement, determined to keep hold of all hope that he could. "Perhaps if we unleash everyone in unison. Perhaps combinations of our powers that we haven't tried yet. _Something has to work_."

Shayera was quickly nodding her head in concurrence, but whether that was through shared hope instead of belief in the plan Superman wasn't sure. It didn't really matter. All that mattered was that the Justice League were willing to try. Even if it cost them everything in doing so.

With that both heroes flew back in to the heat of the action, ready to unleash their powers on the endlessly surging mass of energy once more. As he did so, Superman once again noticed how the cloud seemed to be requiring more energy to keep going on, that it was moving slower than before.

But it always seemed to find more energy, more reserves to keep advancing on Metropolis. There was the briefest of moments when it almost looked like the others had finally managed to stop the cloud, but then it surged onwards, for ta second having even more speed than before. Superman didn't catch what had caused such reaction, but from how the cloud surged onwards afterwards, that was probably a good thing. They just didn't have enough distance left to risk giving the cloud more power in their efforts to stop it.

They badly needed some new ideas. It was just a shame that the people most likely to come up with some, whether knowledgeable, brilliant or just so insane that it might have worked, were the exact same ones who were lying brain dead in the Watchtower's Infirmary. They sure could use Batman, J'onn, Wonder Woman and the Flash right about now. But they weren't bad themselves, even if they were yet to prove that here. They would just have to do the best they could without the others.

And hope that it was enough.

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN:**_

_**I know this is a tad later than promised, but last week releasing it on match day coincidentally saw Man United play well, and I'm hoping for the same trick to work tonight!**_

_**Anyways, here you go, new chapters up. Let me know what you all think.**_


	9. Chapter 8: Assault and Battery

**Chapter 8: Assault and Battery**

The cloud buckled all around them. It was remarkable. It felt almost like an earthquake was rippling through it all, even if those sands beneath their feet didn't budge an inch because of it. Flash just about kept his balance through it all, even as he kept running. For a second he began to wonder what had caused it, especially as he noticed some of the Imperium wobbling under it too. But then Flash noticed a bad guy getting too close for comfort and he was caught up in the fight all over again, the wobbling cast aside and left as forgotten as it could be.

Yet another bunch of Imperium were exploded by one of Bats' batarangs. Once again it was remarkably close to where Flash ran, but this one wasn't near to actually catching him. The batarang struck its targets just as Flash was zooming by, meaning that by the time the fireball had grown, he was gone.

Flash had actually grabbed hold of one of these Imperium soldiers. He had pounded a few more into goo as he charged past, with fists flying so rapidly it was amazing he hadn't taken off, but this latest one he just ran clean into. He had spotted a bunch of ten or so Imperium soldiers charging off to one side, and he had decided that it was time to go bowling.

He was moving so fast that the guy he carried hadn't the chance to try and hit him. In fact, that Imperium didn't even have time to grab at him, to get a hold of him. Flash was doing all the supporting there. That was why he didn't have to bother throwing the guy to send him flying into his friends. He just had to stop rapidly, and the guy's momentum did all the rest.

Flash was already celebrating before it struck home. The Imperium slammed into its mates fully head on, sending both the hurled and the hit tumbling and splatting against the sands in a chain reaction. Flash's celebrations were slightly short-lived though. Two of them were left standing after all of that. Not for long, mind. Flash ran forward to finish those two off the old fashioned way. Still, he groaned in disappointment. He'd only managed a spare.

He didn't stop though. He was rapidly wheeling around to look for more bad guys to fell. There were plenty of them around. _Plenty_...

Or at least there had been. He had been too preoccupied to notice them all disappear.

Suddenly they were all gone.

* * *

><p>Wonder Woman smashed away the latest Imperium to encroach too close to J'onn. There had been many over the last few minutes, despite the efforts of Wally and Bruce, but Wonder Woman hadn't failed to notice that a few less had made it this far since that rumbling shake had happened a few moments ago. She didn't know what it had been. She didn't have the time to stop and figure it out yet either. So long as it didn't happen again, so long as there weren't negative connotations coming with it, she had more important things to worry about right now.<p>

There were still a heck of a lot of the Imperium soldiers around, even after the 'quake', still too many of them for the Justice League to get by to try and stop the cloud, especially with J'onn still prone in the sands. There was still a fight to be had.

But in that moment, Wonder Woman caught a slight break. There was a gap, a moment when there were none close enough for _her _to engage. It was a moment where she could check up on the others, to make sure that they were all doing all right too. She had complete faith in them, but she also knew how dangerous these guys could be. Getting conceited could prove their undoing. She couldn't risk it. She wouldn't. Especially with Bruce, even if he was the one she had the _most _faith in.

But he was alive. And she could see countless of the Imperium were falling under his waves of attacks, be it from his fists or his arsenal of weaponry. Of course they were. He was the Batman. He was the man who had once fought an entire war single-handedly, and won.

And he was the man who had failed to tell her yet whether he had come back to _her _or not.

That thought alone got Wonder Woman's madness pent up ready for the next bout, tensing up her muscles. She could see some more Imperium had broken though the lines of Batman and Flash. They were coming straight for her again, or for _J'onn _more accurately.

Or they had been doing. Just seconds before they were in range of Wonder Woman's powerful fists, they stopped suddenly, an odd ripple flowing through their bodies as they did so. That wasn't the end of it either. Only half a breath later, the Imperium all completely disappeared.

It almost looked like they were being drained away down a giant, invisible plug hole. Wonder Woman surged forward, wanting to catch at least one of them. She knew that getting rid of these guys was a good thing, it was what they needed. But she also recognised how advantageous it could have been to get one of them captured, to use them to find out _exactly _what was going on here. More accurately, she knew that capturing one of them could have helped them to figure out how to stop this cloud. The problem was, the Imperium all slipped straight through her fingers, fast becoming lost to the sands.

Once the last traces of alien disappeared between her fingers, Wonder Woman was quickly looking up, observing the rest of the scene again. First she had to make sure that this wasn't all just a ruse, an attempted trick to get around her and J'onn. She even flew back to stand right over the Martian and defend him, just in case, but it turned out to be unnecessary. It wasn't a kind of Trojan Horse manoeuvre. The Imperium really had _gone_.

And it wasn't only the ones who had been closing in on her that were going either. They all were. Every last one of them. Even the ones that had already fallen were vanishing. As the last one drained away, a bright flash of light against the red 'skies' shone, almost signifying their journey.

The four heroes were on their own again. Wonder Woman looked across at her fellows. She saw the confusion spread around Flash's face first, but typically it was Batman that caught her eye. He was holding his ground, pretty much holding his pose from the second the Imperium had started to vanish. His eyes had narrowed, his brow furrowed. You didn't have to know him as well as Diana did to understand that he was working this out in his head. He was already planning and counter-planning, working out what was going on and how to handle it.

It was an act that they all had to do now, Wonder Woman knew. Before citizens of the Earth down below were lost to the cloud, they had to find a way to stop it from within. J'onn had made that perfectly clear to her. They couldn't go looking the gift horse in the mouth. For whatever reason they had left, the Imperium's disappearance had given them an opportunity to act. The end to the fighting had opened up that door to them. They couldn't refuse to walk through it now. The people down below didn't have time for them to, and they couldn't let the people down.

Of course, Wonder Woman hadn't far to go to get right back to J'onn's side, knowing that they would need the Martian's knowledge and guesswork to help them through this. However, Flash still managed to beat her there – just.

"Yeah, they'd better run!" Flash called out to no-one in particular, though clearly in reference to the departing Imperium. Wonder Woman couldn't help but feel that Flash was sounding a little too joyous, a little too optimistic. Things were _never _that easy.

"What happened?"

Wonder Woman directed the question to J'onn, who was still prone in the sands though looking like he was trying to sit up again. However, Flash leapt in first once more.

"Isn't it obvious? We're clearly a bunch of real life Ghostbusters!" he was booming out, sounding very pleased with himself. "We scared them off. They knew that we ain't afraid of no ghosts, or spooks, or..._memories_. Or whatever. They saw that bustin' makes us feel good!"

"What?" Wonder Woman voiced her confusion. Flash had managed to completely lose her. It definitely sounded like it wasn't just the Imperium he was referring to any more, though what else Wonder Woman couldn't tell. For a moment she was starting to worry that there was something else going on that she had missed, but it was a brief second.

"He's referencing the film '_Ghostbusters_', and he's being an idiot."

Batman spoke up as he swept over the scene, with his cape billowing behind him. His words completely assuaged any additional worries that had been building in her, though there were still plenty of the old one's around. Batman was quickly past both Wonder Woman and Flash, leaning down at J'onn's side. The Martian was clearly wanting to get up, and Batman clearly needed him to be standing again too. Without either saying a word but with plenty of groans from J'onn, Batman threw J'onn's arm over his shoulders and used it to hoist the alien up with him.

"Hey!" Flash protested at being insulted. "I'm just trying to–"

"Quiet," Batman growled, silencing Flash. Flash looked like he was ready to protest again, but Batman gave him one of his most fearsome trademark glares to keep him silenced. "We don't have time for joking around. The cloud must be attacking again. We have to stop it."

"Indeed," J'onn was quickly concurring with Batman, repeating what he had earlier told Wonder Woman in the heat of the fighting. "I can sense it. The cloud is moving. It is advancing on the people of the world. Now that I am in here, even if they haven't taken me captive yet, the cloud has a new priority. The people of the Earth are its new target. It is intending to absorb them, a _lot_ of them. With no guarantees that it is possible to leave this place, we cannot let that happen."

"So why did the Imperium all flee?" Wonder Woman just had to ask. To properly fight this, she had to know more about exactly what it was that they were facing. She didn't need everything, but she needed more than she already had. "What's going on in here?"

"They fled for the same reason the other ones are directing the cloud towards the Earth's citizens," Batman was quick to stoically answer. "Now that J'onn is in here and can't escape them, their priorities will have changed. They now want to give the cloud more power, by having more focused minds directing their efforts. No doubt when the cloud began to move towards the atmosphere the rest of the Justice League would have moved in to face it. Clearly _something _that they were doing was starting to have an effect on it. Keeping some of their numbers here fighting us was too much of a distraction of effort. They were needed back with the others, to provide the cloud with the power to overcome what it is the League is throwing at it. The quake we felt a few moments ago proves it. That was the cloud stumbling against the League's efforts. It was the signal for the Imperium soldiers to be recalled."

"I agree," J'onn added before anyone else could speak, pressing onwards with what he had to say despite sounding pained to do so. "Everything I have been able to read from them suggests the same thing. What the Imperium desire most – now that the last Martian is trapped within the cloud – is more energy, more power. They require more minds to assert a greater control of the cloud. Ever since the Transcendence, there has been a battle of power over the cloud. The Imperium have greater numbers but with less developed telepathic powers their minds have less weight than a Martians. They have control of the cloud, but not an overriding one. They need more minds to achieve that, to be able to use the cloud to kill the Martians within it and to turn it into a weapon against the outside world too. The people of Earth happened to be the closest viable population to me, so the humans would have to be the power source the Imperium pursued."

"But _why_ would they target us humans?" Flash couldn't keep quiet any longer. "It's not like us lot are gonna comply with them. Surely they realise that they'll just wind up adding more minds to the side of the good guys. That they'll wind up with less control?"

"They don't need compliance," Batman stepped in again. "They just need people. Even an unconscious mind can be active. It can give off thought patterns. If the Imperium can harvest that, then they won't need anyone to agree with them. They'll just need minds plugged in to the harvesters. The only pre-requisite required is that the mind remains alive. It's not like there's a lot of people down there who can oppose the Imperium in here. If the Imperium manage to absorb sufficient people, they could obtain unimaginable power. They could become unstoppable. We can't let that happen."

Wonder Woman didn't fully understand what she was hearing, but then she didn't have to. She had understood enough. Things were even worse than she had thought. This cloud was a menace like none the Justice League had ever faced before, even if it was controlled by the enemies they originated against. It was also just about the deadliest thing they had ever seen, or at least it could very soon become so. It had to be stopped.

But that wasn't the only thing worrying her. It was selfish, and it was the kind of thought that made her loathe herself for allowing to come into her head at a time like this. But it was there. She was feeling confused, and that was making her angry. Batman seemed to have realised an awful lot about what was going on awfully quickly, even more so than usual. It was almost like he had known or suspected a lot of it before he had even come here.

It was almost as if it was indeed this energy cloud that he had returned to the Justice League for, to fight it.

It was almost as if that was his sole reason for returning.

It was almost as if things _had _changed, almost as if he wasn't going to be coming back to _her _after all...

But no. She couldn't think like this. She couldn't afford to. The people of the Earth couldn't afford for her to. They would be counting on her, along with the other three. They would be needing her to have her head in the game, to be focussed on what she had to do. If she wasn't, then this could all end _very _badly.

But she couldn't entirely shift the thoughts from her mind. Batman had done too good a job of worming his way in. For a man to win the love of an Amazon, he had to have done that and more. There was no way she could entirely block out her worries about what his damn stubborn mind would allow for their future, not even now. She would just have to cope with it.

And to confront him for the truth about his time away and his return as soon as she had the reasonable chance to.

"So how do we go about doing that?" she asked now instead, beginning that process of overcoming her nagging mind, of getting back to the task at hand. "How do we take control of this cloud _away _from the Imperium so that they can't gain any more minds of any kind? How do we stop this energy cloud's threat?"

Once again, it was Batman who answered first. It didn't matter if his answer was simplistic and without the depth to give her a proper response. It seemed to say enough that he still knew what he was talking about. In turn, that meant that Wonder Woman had to immediately clamp down on her feelings again.

"There are two possibilities. The Martian's help _us _assume control, or we take the cloud's control cluster by force."

"_Control cluster_?" Flash was quickly repeating. "You almost make it sound like this is some sort of rocket ship. Captain Kirk to the bridge..."

"That analogy, in this case, is not too far from the truth," J'onn was the first to react this time, doing so before Batman could glare at Flash for another film reference. J'onn was wincing slightly again as he spoke, his head clearly still under assault. His fellow Martians really mustn't understand the strength of their powers in their new..._state_. "There has to be something holding all the mental energies together that compose this cloud. That something is the solid core that you three battled earlier with the Watchtower repulsor beam. That core isn't just there for show. It is the remnants of the fallen and the Transcended. It is the _brain _of the cloud, if you will. It is through the core that the cloud is controlled, through sending directed thought waves to it. If we can take control of the core, if we can have a mastery of it, even for just a few seconds, we can at least buy the people of Earth some precious time."

"I'll take your word for it," Flash commented after that. It was clear that he hadn't entirely followed what J'onn was saying, but also that he had done so enough to recognise one thing. "All sounds a bit simple to me though."

"That is because a lot of this is hypothetical," J'onn answered swiftly. "As I said, this is the first time a Transcended being has even been known to exist. There is no past example to study and learn from. A lot of what I am basing this on is theory and myth. The telepathic barrage on my mind is too strong for me to probe the Imperium to find out how true the theories are. It could be that the cluster is as easy to control as simply thinking a command. It could be far more difficult, perhaps even more _final_. We just can't know until it has been tried or studied. Right now, there is no time for a field test. We just have to hope that it works."

"Well _that's _good news," Flash muttered the sarcastic comment, sounding slightly put off, but he also didn't look like even slightly wavering. "So which way is th–"

"You're not going," Batman cut in, interrupting Flash and causing both the Scarlet Speedster and Wonder Woman to quickly shoot him a look of confusion. Batman was not slow in explaining. There simply wasn't the time for him to be. "This has to be a two pronged operation. We have two chances of stopping the Imperium. We have to try for both. That means that you're needed elsewhere. You need to get J'onn to the Martians in here. Make them stop focussing their energies on him and to use their telepathic strength to get the cloud to move away from Earth. J'onn's our best chance to convince them. You need to make sure he gets to the Martians safely. If the Imperium realise what we're doing, they'll almost certainly be prepared to draw some energy from the cloud again to stop us. With the access we'll have we'll be a much greater threat to them than the Justice League outside."

"Fine, I'll get him there in no time," Flash retorted, sounding immediately ready to go, already forgetting about getting silenced. Before Wonder Woman had properly realised it and in a red blur, J'onn was taken out of Batman's hands and was draped over Flash instead. "Don't worry, after those last goo-guys, getting there'll be no problem."

"Don't get cocky," Batman quickly snapped. "The ones we faced just now won't have been the elites. They'll have sent the lesser soldiers against us first, keeping the strongest to fuel their quest for far more malleable and a more vast quantity of minds. Don't forget we're only here because they wanted J'onn out of the physical realm. If the Imperium come for us again, things won't be anywhere near as easy."

"I _got _it," Flash groaned, clearly hating getting lectured, regardless of how poignant a warning it was that he was being given. Wonder Woman saw Batman glare at him again. It was a good job that time was of the essence right now and the situation couldn't develop further. "Point the way, big guy. Where are the Mysterons?"

J'onn slowly raised a shaky hand, pointing out across the deserts. "I sense them in that direction, but I cannot break through properly to them against the telepathic bombardment they are still sending my way. I cannot tell them that we are coming, or pinpoint them precisely."

"But _I'll_ find 'em," Flash replied, hoisting J'onn up more so the he was virtually giving the Martian a piggy-back. "Hold on tight."

And without further ado they were gone. Grains of sand were thrown up into the air as Flash ran fast, carrying J'onn away with him, hopefully to both his and the entire world's salvation.

But, as had been said, there were _two _plans being put in action here. It was time to put the other one into action too. It was time for Wonder Woman to do her part, right at Batman's side.

She didn't fail to notice how the four of them had paired off. She knew that it made tactical sense, that it was wise to send Flash with J'onn. J'onn needed to reach his fellow Martians quickly. That was far more important than sending him with someone with greater strength to escort him there. On top of that, if this control core was as important as Batman and J'onn had made out, then it would surely be well protected by the Imperium. That, therefore, was where the strength of Wonder Woman and the guile of Batman were most required.

But Wonder Woman, just as before, couldn't block out the selfish thoughts about the pairing. Despite her well honed warrior instincts having by no means gone away, she couldn't help but feel a slight giddiness at being alone with Batman again, even in a situation as dark as this one.

"Come on, Princess, we've got to move," Batman instructed just seconds after Flash and J'onn departed, turning to lead them the opposite direction. Once again, Wonder Woman got the strong impression that Batman knew too much here. All thoughts that he might have deliberately kept her with him for selfish reasons of his own were so rapidly overridden by those doubts, the doubts as to whether he was really coming back to her,_ at all_.

Batman had turned, but he wasn't moving. Wonder Woman could pretty quickly read his reasons for why. They clearly had a fair distance to travel, and Batman had neither Flash's speed, any of his vehicles or any tall structures to grapple and glide between. They had to get to their target fast, faster than the powerless Batman could run to it. Instead, he was waiting for her to fly him there.

Wonder Woman wasn't slow to comply. She took off as soon as she realised what was going on, sweeping him up while already off the ground, hoisting him up by the shoulders. She flew up fairly high to stop his feet dragging in the sands, going as quick as she dared to go.

"I hope you're still in top shape, Princess," Batman commented from her arms, causing her to look down at him as she surged them on through the red skies. "I'm going to need you to keep the Imperium off my back when we arrive. I'll hopefully be too busy working on the control cluster as soon as we get an opening to it. I'll be counting on you to keep me safe."

"I'll do everything in my power to, Bruce, you know that," Wonder Woman quickly responded to him, surprised that she even had to.

She didn't like the way that he had spoken. It wasn't that he had acknowledged the danger. With what they did, they _always _faced danger. With this cloud, all its surprises and the unknown element of everything in here, especially this _control _cluster, that was perhaps even an understatement.

No, it was the way that once again he sounded so knowledgeable about the cloud when it was apparently something that had never been known to actually exist until now. Wonder Woman couldn't resist any more. It seemed they had a way to travel, and up here in the skies they were alone, with the chance to allow moments of distraction, even if they would only be short moments.

She had to know. She had to know if over his time away his paranoid mind had made him cast aside everything they had said to each other in the Batcave eight months ago. She had to know if he had come back to _her_.

"Bruce, I have to know. Was it... Was it _this _that you came back to the Justice League for? Did you return because of this energy cloud?"

"Yes."

Batman answered her quickly and firmly, no shred of doubts in his voice. Wonder Woman pretty much felt her heart breaking in that second. She knew very well that Bruce would be the only man she would ever love like this. For eight months she had waited for the day when they could finally be together. She wouldn't have done that for any other man, she wouldn't have missed another man this much. Now it seemed that the cloud had just claimed its first victim; all of Diana's hopes and dreams felt like they were being snatched from her by just that singular word.

"While at a charity do for the Wayne Foundation at the Gotham Observatory, one of the researchers there showed me this tiny speck of light they had picked up in the vicinity of Mars," Batman went on, beginning to explain in more depth.

He sounded completely oblivious to what he was putting Wonder Woman through, despite the fact that she was sure she wasn't hiding it well at all. In fact, she was hardly able to listen to the rest of what Batman was saying, though she forced herself to. She had to have hope, she couldn't give up. That was her way, in this and in the fight. She had to believe there was a reasonable explanation for all of this. The problem was her emotions weren't letting her find one, and ignoring her feelings had never been something she was very good at.

"They couldn't explain it, they thought it was just a playful, harmless anomaly a long way away from us," Batman continued. "But with all the extra-terrestrial things we've seen in the Justice League I decided that as soon as I got back to the Batcave I was going to check it out. I used astrological readings picked up from the Observatory's databanks, comparing them against the cultural database from the Watchtower. I accessed it all remotely, without detection, searching through all the files compiled by J'onn, Shayera, GL and our other space oriented members. What I found was a report J'onn had put in there, clearly half-heartedly, discussing the ideas of Transcendence. With the energy and matter readings the Observatory had recorded, it was the only thing I could find that made sense, and so I began calculating the potential repercussions of what it could mean, especially when I got a trajectory on the cloud and knew it was heading here. However, I thought I had more time. I thought that it would take the cloud longer to arrive, that I had time to take care of Penguin's scheme first. But yes, it was the cloud that I came back for. I knew that it had to be stopped."

"And if it wasn't for the cloud...? Is it _all _that you came back for?" Diana almost felt like she was pleading, It wasn't like her at all, but it was another sign of just how much this one man could affect her. Damn him.

"Princess, please," Batman responded to her, looking up to her face at last. She wished she could get some sort of read on him, but his damn cowl was still keeping him well shrouded in mystery. "I told you before that I'll explain everything to you when the time is right. It wasn't the time then, it definitely isn't now. We have to focus on stopping the cloud. We can't afford the distractions."

"Hera, Bruce, why do you think I'm pressing this now? I'm already distra–!" Wonder Woman began to exclaim his way, but she never got the chance to finish her sentence. Given all that had happened in the last few moments, the environment around them wasn't something she had been paying particularly close attention to, particularly since they were up here in the air. But she had forgotten that they were in a world made up of thoughts. Of course it would be possible for the environment to be changed; this wasn't the real world.

Of course the Imperium would want to use that to help prevent her and Batman from reaching the control cluster as soon as they realised they were on their way.

Wonder Woman had to give up on the talking, no matter how important it was to her. She was suddenly too busy having to dive and roll out of the way as the giant trees suddenly grew right in their path, clearly trying to block her, to make her crash straight into them. Clearly they were getting close to the core.

Tugging Batman in close, Wonder Woman dove. The trees were getting too close, despite her efforts. She felt branches scraping against her as she did everything to avoid the things growing out of nowhere, knowing that the same would be hitting Bruce from within her arms. She had already had enough of this. If the Imperium wanted a fight they could have one, a _proper _one. The Imperium couldn't fly, so they were trying to take that advantage away from her. She was willing to allow that. The anger that Bruce had just put into her meant that she was more than ready for a fight anyway.

As she set Batman down and then landed right beside him, Wonder Woman could tell that the sands below them had turned into soil, but she didn't dwell on that. The trees were disappearing almost as quickly as they had arrived, but behind them plenty of Imperium soldiers were coming into view. However, these ones were armed; they did have those guns the physical Imperium had used before. Batman had been right; that alone made sure that they were deadlier than the ones they had already fought in the cloud.

But Wonder Woman was ready for them, and she could tell that Batman was too. He was already getting his batarangs drawn, while she was raising her fists and deflecting bracelets to a fighting stance. The Imperium may feel they had caught the invaders in a trap, but Wonder Woman knew that conversely they were exactly where they wanted to be.

For looking beyond the Imperium, she could see the giant tower of pure light, stretching into the skies further than the eye could see. There was no doubt in her mind. That was surely the control core. It had to be.

And it was virtually within reach. All they had to do was get these Imperium out of the way. _All they had to do_.

Wonder Woman did not wait for Batman to say anything before acting. She didn't want to wait to hear him talk again right now. She just wanted to unleash her fury.

And save the world in the process.

The fighting had begun again.

She just wished that the unforeseen fight for Bruce wasn't lost already.

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN:**_

_**Evening all. Bit late but here you go. Please, feel free to review away, chums! 'Tis much appreciated!**_

_**Also, since this story was being written when Egon died, and its quite apt here given a few of the lines, screw it I'll be nice. Chapter dedicated to the memory of Harold Ramis.**_


	10. Chapter 9: All's Fair

**Chapter 9: All's Fair...**

Nothing that they had tried had worked yet, and they had tried a lot of things. They were having even less success than the guys and gals down there facing the thing head on. All the kit, all the advanced technology at their disposal, and none of it was doing a damn thing. Even what Batman and the others had been up to before the cloud turned them into vegetables wasn't an option, not anymore. Blasting it with repulsor beams now that it was in the atmosphere wouldn't be a smart move. They'd only end up getting it to the people of Metropolis faster.

Green Arrow hated to admit it, but they were out of options. From up here, there was nothing more that they could do.

"T., we managed to get the magic circle all in session?" he asked, looking up from his monitors after giving up on his last attempt against the cloud.

"They've all gathered at Dr. Fate's home," Mr. Terrific replied. "I don't really want to disturb them. Last I heard they were trying to use their combined powers against it, but were yet to have any success."

"Yeah, they're not the only ones," Arrow muttered in response. "You got the number of that guy commanding the marines?"

"A General Felix Mulligan, yes," Mr Terrific answered him again. "Do you want me to open a channel?"

"Yeah, I do," Green Arrow was quickly nodding the affirmative, looking back to his screens at the cloud drawing ever closer to the vast, highly populated city. "Gather up every available body we've still got up here, would you? There's no point in us hanging around. It's time to go see how the other side live. We've gotta go see if the marines want a hand in getting that city empty.

"Oh, and T.," Arrow quickly added, watching the developments on the screen ever closer. Things _really _weren't looking good. Unless Superman, Shayera and the rest could pull off a miracle, or Dr. Fate and his magicians had a trick left up their many sleeves, the cloud would be hitting Metropolis any minute now. It truly was relentless. "Hurry."

* * *

><p>Green Lantern was throwing all his will and every ounce of effort that he could muster behind the light of his power ring. The energy cloud couldn't break through the giant barrier he had been able to create, but neither was it being stopped. It just kept on coming, pushing GL backwards through the air as it rammed its full strength against his barrier, and it had <em>plenty <em>of power. GL was trying, but he couldn't resist its force. However, he was managing to slow it down. That was why he couldn't stop. He had to keep this thing as slowed down as he could, and hope that one of the others would find the way to stop it that they had been sorely lacking up until now.

When he had woken up this morning GL had never thought that he would go going toe to toe with a _cloud_, but here he was. As if to convince himself of the reality and desperate necessity of the situation, Green Lantern dared to peer behind him through the strains of effort he was throwing into trying to hold his ground. They may still be in the skies, but Metropolis was becoming ever clearer to see. Hell, Lantern almost felt like he could make out the whites of the eyes of the people down in the streets below as they all started to take notice of what was going on above them. They were close enough that he could see the panic setting in in the city, and the first signs of the marines coming in to try and take control of the situation.

However, what GL could see the most was that they were already simply too damn close.

"Need a hand?"

The voice was Superman's. Sure enough, the red and blue blur suddenly came into view, the man of steel then visibly hovering between GL and his will-powered barricade. Superman wasn't alone either. She didn't quite posses Superman's speed, but Shayera was not far behind the big Kryptonian, taking up a similar position. However, she wasn't so quick and ready to even look at GL, let alone talk to him. GL knew that was his fault, and it actually hurt him quite deeply. Now, though, wasn't the time to fix that.

"If there's nothing else you need to be doing..."

GL's answer was deliberately non-committal. He knew all about the complete plethora of powers at Superman's disposal from plenty of first-hand experience. He didn't want those to go to waste if there was somewhere else where they could be better used. He also knew, though, that Superman wouldn't be hiding away, especially given this was his city at stake. He would have already tried his powers, likely in every combination he could think of. The fact that he was here now was far from comforting.

"Nothing more important than driving that thing away," Superman returned. "Come on, Shayera. Time to push."

There was no need for GL to change anything that he was doing. He was already putting all his energy into trying to push the cloud backwards. Now, though, he had help. Before his eyes he watched as Superman and Shayera pushed too. They both planted their hands flat against the light he was creating as if it were just an ordinary wall. Then, with all their combined strength and momentum, they began pushing. GL made sure that the only reason the light fought their efforts was because of the cloud pushing back from the other side.

And, what was more, it was working.

GL had been slowing the cloud down before. Now, with the strength of both a Kryptonian and a Thanagarian pushing with him, the cloud was pretty much being held to a standstill. They were doing it. The thing wasn't going away, the measure was temporary, _but it was working_. It didn't matter if all three of them were having to grunt and groan from the straining efforts. All that mattered was that they kept it up for long enough for a better plan to come to mind.

But, of course up against this thing, GL had grown too optimistic too soon. The bugger wasn't going down without a fight, and it had already proved that it was damn good at brawling, even against the best. This time was no different.

GL saw the energy surge coming before it actually hit. He tried to counter it, to throw more power behind the light, but he had already been giving it full juice. His efforts were futile, completely useless. There was nothing he could really do but allow his eyes to widen in horror as the sudden huge jolt of energy struck.

The green barricade was smashed apart as if it had been made of glass as the tentacle like energy surged outwards, ahead of the main body of the cloud. It was all that GL could do to make sure that enough of the barricade remained intact to shield Superman, Shayera and himself. It just about managed to save them from the same fate that had befallen Batman, J'onn, Wonder Woman and Flash on the Watchtower.

But it couldn't save them from being thrown across the skies as if they had been caught in the shock wave of a bomb blast. GL only just managed to regain control of his flight before he was slamming into one of the luxury towers of Metropolis. He had to catch Shayera before she slammed into him and made it happen anyway.

She was quick to shrug him off of her as soon as she had her own control back, still not saying a word to him, but she didn't fly away. Neither of them could for a brief moment. They were overcome by the shock of seeing the cloud again. Now that the barricade was gone, it was slowed no longer. Before their eyes, the thing was surging forwards. GL could now hear the screams from the people down in the city, a city which he could now reach out and touch. He knew that if he turned around to look through the windows right behind his back, he would likely be face-to-face with scared and screaming citizens who were yet to begin to run.

The energy cloud was almost on them.

Not only that, it was almost on _them_. That tentacle of energy that had broken GL's barricade had not merged back into the cloud's main body. Instead, it was poised to strike again. Poised to strike right in GL and Shayera's path...

Clearly the building behind the two of them was its true target. Clearly there were still many people inside that vast tower. But that didn't mean that the two of them were in the clear, not for one second. In fact, it put them in even greater danger. They couldn't run away. They couldn't leave all those people in there to suffer and potentially die. They had to _try _and save them, even if everything they had tried up until then had failed miserably. They had to hold ground and hope they could stop the tentacle this time. They had to hope that it wouldn't stop _them_.

"Shayera..." GL began to say. The tentacle was poised, its energy levels clearly building. They only had seconds. Despite all his avoidance of her to try and get his head sorted, John Stewart couldn't help but want to talk to her in what could well be their last moments. He had to at least _apologise _for all that he had put her through. However, she was having none of it.

"Save it!" she quickly growled, her mace firmly back in her grip, itself powering up. Her voice made it clear enough, but the fact that she didn't even want to look at him made it even clearer in that moment. She _didn't _want to talk. "Just get that ring of yours lit up, fast!"

GL did as he was told. The green light began forming before them, stretched out ahead of them to try and keep the cloud well away from the skyscraper. His jaw clenched even more than before, knowing that facing this could well be their last stand. He only just got the light in place in time before the energy of the cloud began to strike.

And immediately it managed to smash his shield to pieces once again. It had a strength beyond what he could muster. It had a power beyond his. He couldn't stop it.

Once again, his eyes widened in horror, only this time there was no way out. There was no safe zone for them to be blown into. The trap of the building saw to that. Shayera held her mace at the ready, but even as GL tried to reform the shield he knew that there was now nothing either of them could do. He braced himself for the end...

But it never came.

GL felt the edge of the icy wind cross his face, seeing out of his eye corners as Superman flew in with his super speed and began to try and literally blow the cloud away. He wasn't the only one attempting to fly to the rescue either. At the exact same moment, Captain Atom flew in from the opposite direction, sending targeted blasts of radiation right into the tentacle of the cloud. His and Superman's attacks struck at the exact same time, just a heartbeat before the tentacle was about to hit.

After so many failures, they had finally done it. They had finally found a method, a combination that could beat the cloud. The combined efforts of the two strong Leaguers worked. GL, Shayera and all the people in the skyscraper were saved. The tentacle was stopped.

But it wasn't only stopped. An electrical wail split the skies for miles around. It was almost like the cloud was screaming in pain, that what had been done to it was agonising. If they were right and that thing was alive, then it likely _was _agonising. For the tentacle wasn't just stopped. It was hacked clean off. Freezing irradiation completely severed the chunk of energy from the cloud. GL didn't get the science of it but he didn't care to either. It was like cutting a man's arm off. The tentacle began to fall, limp, even the sparks of energy fading with its source lost.

That might have meant they had cause for celebration. _Might_. But they didn't. Severing the chunk of energy wasn't enough. It may be severed, it may be draining, but there was still plenty of energy there, enough for it to hold its shape as it dropped. In that instant the old tall tales about what would happen if a penny was dropped off the Empire State Building sprang through GL's mind. He could see countless people on the road down below, crammed in the streets, trapped in the gridlock from their efforts to flee, the marines yet to get them clear.

And the tentacle was heading straight for them.

With his ring GL made a desperate attempt to catch the thing, but the extra power that had been put into the tentacle meant that even severed he could do nothing to stop it. Still not a physical thing, there was nothing Superman, Shayera or Captain Atom could really do either. They tried, they all tried _something_, but it was all in vain.

With a crack like thunder, the tentacle hit the streets, citizens included. There was the briefest moment when many voices cried out in harmonious pain, and then there was just silence down there. GL saw the bodies fall where the light had hit them. Even severed, the energy of the cloud seemed to have the same effect.

The cloud had just claimed its next set of victims.

"No!" Superman shouted at the sight, clearly feeling the loss. He wasn't the only one either. GL could already feel the lump forming in his throat, but he was also fighting it away. Grief was important, but it could wait. They had to try and make sure there weren't any more people to also grieve first.

However, that didn't stop GL from briefly glancing at Shayera to make sure she was all right, only to discover that she had already flown off, back to join the rest of the fight against the cloud.

"It worked," GL stumbled around the words, almost silently the first time before rediscovering his steely, charismatic voice. "Superman, Captain Atom, whatever you just did beat this thing. Can you use it against the cloud? Can you destroy it?"

"We can..." Captain Atom began in his heavily accented twang, not sounding overly convinced or happy at the idea.

"What the Captain means is, _dare we do it_?" Superman quickly interpreted. "From what we just saw we could well do more damage than good. Sacrificing ourselves is one thing, sacrificing innocents is another. We have to find another way."

"There might not _be _another way," GL pointed out, not dancing around the issue. There wasn't time for them to sit around and debate the morality of the situation. They were in it now. They had to deal with it and find a way to accept the consequences. The rest of the Justice League were still battling the cloud, the people were still trying to get to safety. The three of them _had _to get back to helping, fast.

"We can't–"

But what they couldn't do GL didn't get to hear. Superman's words trailed off. Clearly he had heard something, something that _really _caught his attention, something so quiet or distant that GL hadn't a clue what it was.

"Keep fighting the cloud. I'll be back in a minute!" Superman then suddenly barked out the orders, without the hint of an explanation. Before GL could ask for one, the last son of Krypton was gone, disappearing with another red and blue blur. Captain Atom merely looked at GL and shrugged.

"Back to plan A it is," he commented, before turning and flying away, back towards the main body of the cloud. Even with the Justice League still fully engaging it, the thing was beginning to position itself right over the city. It was getting ready to absorb massive chunks in one swift blast. Captain Atom was right. With Superman gone, they had to just keep trying _anything_ to stop it.

GL quickly looked back down at the city. He could see the marines moving in, but he could also see that there was a long way to go before the evacuation was done. A _long _way to go.

The Justice League were still Metropolis' only real hope.

And so GL got back to work, however futile that might be.

* * *

><p>"Folks, whatever this thing is, it sure seems powerful," Snapper said, maintaining his usual tone despite the very real dangers going on all around them. Lois had to give him credit. He was a very good journalist...for TV.<p>

The news helicopter had arrived at the roof of the Daily Planet only seconds after Lois herself did. Only a few seconds later than that, they were up in the skies, flying fast up to that..._thing_. Lois was in the back of the helicopter. Snapper was typically up front with the pilot, as close to the action as he could get, view completely unobstructed. Lois couldn't say the same thing. She had the cameraman with all his gear in her way as Snapper was determined his report wouldn't miss a single second of the action.

But Lois could see enough to know that there was plenty of action happening out there. _Plenty. _And none of it looked like the good kind either.

She had known Superman for long enough. Hell, she had certainly got caught up enough in his superhero shenanigans. She ought to be qualified by now to recognise these things when she saw them. She certainly felt sure that she knew the signs of Superman and his super friends kicking some bad guy ass.

And she was spotting none of them now. In fact, she was practically seeing the opposite. This cloud thing was giving the Justice League hell.

Yep. This was certainly going to be one hell of a story unfolding right before their eyes. And Lois had got herself in prime position to see it.

Perhaps _too _much so...

"It's fair to say that this reporter has certainly never seen anything like it, and I'm already hoping that we don't have to see it for very much longer. That said, we will keep bringing you minute by minute pictures of this as events unfold and the Justice League risk all to try and save the world once again," Snapper was still going on, although Lois was only half listening to his commentary. Her eyes were glued to what part of the action she could see, and not only for journalistic reasons. She was keeping an eye on..._certain _heroes too. _That _was why she was really on this ride, and she was relieved to say that even though they weren't winning, the Justice Leaguers out there were all still alive.

And it was a ride that could make any roller-coaster pale, especially as they got ever closer to the action. Lois could have sworn that she warned Snapper not to let the pilot get carried away, that they should avoid getting too close. It was a good job for them that there was never really a chance to say '_told you so_'.

For to get the best pictures, to truly show this cloud and the Justice League in action, the helicopter had to get in close, no doubt so the audience could feel like they were living it with their heroes. It was good journalism. It also happened to foolhardy, and perhaps stupid. It didn't matter that they were just observers.

They had gone and made themselves into a _very_ prominent target.

Lois saw as Superman, Green Lantern and the former Hawkgirl got blown through the skies by a branch of energy leaping from the cloud. As she tracked Superman across the sky, blocking Snapper out in that moment's worry, she saw it out of her eye corners. It was remarkable considering the size of that thing, and how much it contrasted with the pale blue skies, but it had managed to creep up on them. Part of it, anyway.

For the cloud was beginning to _surround _them. And none of the others had realised it yet. The pilot was flying them right into a trap.

"Snapper, I know I said I'd keep my trap shut, but we got a problem here!" she called out for all to hear. No doubt that really was _all_. The live broadcasting microphone would no doubt have picked her voice up. Sure enough, Snapper was quickly flashing a glare back at her for interrupting, but in doing so he made himself face what Lois had seen. That made the anger that had emerged on his face instantly change to fear.

"Get us out of here! Now!" he quickly shouted out to the pilot, stammering around the words. It was odd to hear from such an accomplished journalist, but Lois couldn't blame him. What was happening regarding everyone else had to be completely forgotten. The wisps of energy were virtually in touching distance outside of Lois' window now.

The walls had sprung from nowhere, and they were closing in. Fast.

The pilot actually let out a squeal as he too saw the danger they had put themselves in. Instantly he tried to get them out of there, throwing the controls to full speed instead of the cruising rate he had been going at before so the camera could get the clearest shots. Up until that point, the helicopter's path had been left clear, obviously some part of the trap to keep them thinking they were safe. It was that clear run that the pilot was aiming for. It was also the exact place where the cloud threw up its energies to stop them.

A cacophony of screams and gasps followed _that _sight. In that instant, even Lois Lane had her life flash before her eyes, despite all of her bravery and aptitude for being rescued from the most ridiculous of dangers. Thankfully, the pilot's reflexes were sharp enough the throw the helicopter into a dive, but that only kept _them_ out of the cloud's energy, diving into the last gap in the bubble that it had formed around them.

But the dive could do nothing for the rotors. Up top there, the helicopter couldn't dive quick enough to get everything through to the clean air. Lois couldn't really see it, but she could certainly hear it, _feel _it. She was no scientist but she could figure what had happened. This cloud thing seemed to be all about energy. The rotors coming into contact with that vast amount of power must have overloaded them. All of a sudden, they lost all power. There was nothing left to keep them in the air.

The helicopter began to plummet, and fast. Worse, it wasn't far down until the very _solid _ground of Metropolis. For the second time in seconds, it seemed the end was nigh.

But that wasn't even the end of the problems. Snapper was only just beginning to yell something out when it happened. Apparently the cloud wasn't going to be happy until it had dealt with them itself. _Directly_. The flash of the energy was almost blinding as a tentacle similar to the one that had attacked Superman and his pals whipped through the helicopter as if it wasn't there.

Instinctively, Lois flung herself back in her seat, as far as she could get. It was a good job too. It meant that she wasn't caught in the light. Very close to it, but she made it out of the way in time. The other three, however, did not. Lois gasped in horror as she watched all three – Snapper, the cameraman and the pilot – go limp.

Then she remembered the very imminent ground, and thought that perhaps they were going to prove to be the lucky ones.

She should have known, though, that such thoughts were too soon, especially with her very powerful, very caring guardian angel around.

* * *

><p>He had heard the screams, even over all the ruckus of battle and fear around the city. With his enhanced hearing, he was <em>always <em>listening out for her, always ready to make sure she was all right. It was why he was always there to save her. Despite all that was going on, despite all that was at stake, despite there being many, _many _others in just as deadly peril, now was no different.

Superman could not let Lois die, no matter how many others would be lost. He could easily sacrifice himself for others should he have to, but never her.

He caught the carcass of the helicopter only seconds before it smashed into the concrete of the streets. He lifted it as if it were nothing but feathers, not even slowing when he did so, despite the desire being intense in him to stop and check that Lois was all right inside it. He had heard the other screams stop, his x-ray vision showing him only one person inside it moving; Lois. He didn't have to have seen what had happened to understand that the cloud had struck again. He was just relieved that somehow it had missed her.

The cloud was still up there in the sky, still close by and getting ever closer to the city. The Justice League were still battling it, but Superman knew that if there was anyone left at the top of the tallest towers, then they would quickly be following the fate of Lois' fellow helicopter occupants. He had to get back up there, to try and stop it, _somehow_. Just as soon as he had Lois taken to safety.

It didn't take him long to spot where the marines had set up their command post to lead the evacuation. The hub for saving people, it was definitely the safest place in the city, and so the safest place he could take her right now. Even with his speed, he couldn't afford to fly any further, not with all those people at risk.

Within seconds he was setting the helicopter's battered and broken shell down beside the trucks and the troops. Almost straight after, Lois was scrambling out of it, throwing herself at him in a very relieved embrace.

"You took you're sweet ass time," she muttered to him. She sounded annoyed, but Superman knew her better. She was saying a very sincere 'thank you'.

"I was in the middle of something," was his rebuttal, no more explanation needed. "I know you'll want this story, but Lois, please get out of here. Get the marines to get you clear, and get Snapper and the others looked after. I have to get back up there."

"Sure thing, cowboy," she returned, though she did lean in to plant a quick, caring kiss on him. "You be careful up there."

"Aren't I always?" he replied, putting confidence into his voice that this cloud had really stated to drain out of him. With that he made as if to launch, to fly away back to the action and the source of the screams ringing in his ears. However, the shout made him pause for a moment.

"Superman! Wait!"

It was Green Arrow calling. Superman quickly looked up. The man who modelled himself on Robin Hood was striding rapidly across to him, a very official looking military man right at his side. That officer had a scowl on his experienced, battle-worn face that Batman would be proud of.

"This is General Felix Mulligan," Arrow wasted no time in explaining. "He's in charge of the evac operation. He wants a wo–"

"What the hell are you _doing_?" the General thundered, interrupting Arrow mid-word. He certainly seemed to have a temper, this man. Hopefully he was able to use it the right way. "Why aren't you destroying that thing up there?"

"It's not as simple as it sounds General..." Superman began to try and counter, well aware that there wasn't really time for this. The General knew that too.

"I know damn well how simple it is!" he bellowed so loud that the spittle began flying. "We all saw what happened a minute ago. We know you found a way to destroy that thing! And, yes, before you say anything, we also know the dangers you're method has. My guys on the front lines say those people the bit you broke off hit are all dead, but we don't have a choice. That thing just took out several city blocks while you were playing with helicopters! Hell, it even got the famous Daily Planet building. We don't have time to dither, to worry. We don't have the time needed to get these people out of here. We have to go for the greater good, the lesser evil. If you _don't _destroy it, more people will be lost than if you do. Now get the hell back up there! Finish this!"

If there was the time for him to be, that would have stunned Superman into a momentary silence. His eyes even began to scan for the signatory globe amongst the rooftops, but he couldn't spot it where it should be. It was indeed shrouded in the darkness. First there was the fact that even more people than he had realised had been lost to the cloud, including his own friends from the sound of things. Perry White... Jimmy Olson... They would likely have still been in the Planet, and if the cloud had absorbed it all... And then there was that other thing. It must have been because the tentacle had been separated from the cloud's main body, but something that _he _had caused had gotten several people killed.

And he was being asked, perhaps even _forced _to do so again. If the city was being taken out from under them, perhaps the General was right...

But this certainly was not a call that Superman wanted to make. He didn't know if his conscience could take it.

"Superman!" the General barked, making Superman realise that he had wound up being stunned anyway. The General was staring at him pointedly, Green Arrow likewise waiting for Superman's response. He could also feel Lois stood behind him, likewise staring, expectedly. A lot hung on how he was going to reply.

He did so by raising a hand to his ear, and hoping to high heaven that he wasn't going to wind up regretting this.

"Superman to Captain Atom. We need to regroup. We don't have a choice any more. Regardless of the risks, we need to destroy the cloud. Now."


	11. Chapter 10: Life from Mars

**Chapter 10: Life From Mars**

J'onn J'onzz didn't know quite how to feel. Well, other than in pain, anyway.

For centuries he had believed that he was alone, the last survivor of a proud and peaceful race. It was hard, but he had learned to cope with that. He had learned to move on from both the loss of his species and the loss of his own personal family. In fact, he had found a new family, a new species he could feel almost like he belonged to, in spirit if not genetics. After years of struggling, he had come to terms with the demise of his people.

And now he was learning that they weren't quite as gone as he had believed. The Martian race wasn't as close to extinction as he had thought. _Physically_ nothing may have changed, but the core part of any being is the mind, the thoughts being what defines who a person truly is. With telepaths the importance of the mind over the body was always even more prominent. And the minds of many Martians lived on in this cloud. J'onn was no longer alone.

But the cloud was also threatening to destroy the new family he had managed to create. That was why his feelings were caught in a paradox. He felt both the joy and the fear, the agony and the ecstasy. This cloud was offering him the chance to save his people, but also the chance to lose his new home. However, for all the contradictions, one thing was undeniably clear. There was one thing that had to happen for the good of both the Martians and the Earth.

The Imperium had to be stopped.

Thankfully, they were yet to run into any more of the alien fiends. Of course, Flash was doing most of the running, J'onn draped over his shoulders. His head was still splitting into far more than just two. Regardless of the fact that Flash was simply much quicker, J'onn needed to save his focus to keeping himself together. He was the only way they had of actually finding his people. Not only did he need to use the bombardment on his mind to track them down, but he was almost certainly also the only way of drawing them out. From all that they had been sending into his head, it was clear to J'onn that his people didn't particularly want to be found. They had resided in this cloud for centuries with only the Imperium for company. They were used to staying hidden for their own good. It was a near certainty that the only way to make that stop was to present them with a face that was without a doubt friendly. The _only_ such face was J'onn's.

And, of course, that meant that he was the best hope for the entire world. There was no doubt in J'onn's mind that the Martians were the key to stopping the cloud's assault on Earth. There was too much doubt about the core, too much doubt as to exactly how much Batman and Wonder Woman would be able to control it, especially with all the Imperium who would surely be protecting it. J'onn had complete faith in his friends, he knew that they wouldn't give up until they came up with _some way _of saving the day, but he also knew that they shouldn't have to risk trying. With their telepathy, even at greatly lesser numbers than their foes, the Martians had every chance of taking over the cloud with only a matter of thoughts. He just had to find them, and then convince them to do it.

The only thing was, that would mean they would _really _need to come out of hiding...

"J'onn, old buddy, I'm still not seeing anyone else who's _green_ around here," Flash suddenly shouted out, having to call over the rushing sound caused by his incredible speeds. "You sure we're going the right way big guy? I don't think even I have time to take a wrong turn today!"

"This is the direction I sense them in," J'onn groaned out in reply. "Just keep going. Don't forget, this is not a physical realm. Distance doesn't have the same meaning in here that it does on the Earth. We must keep going until we get my people's attention and they show themselves. This is the direction in which to do that."

"If you say so," Flash, like before, didn't sound too convinced, but he kept going regardless. J'onn didn't blame young Wally for being confused and unclear about the situation. It wasn't an easy one to get your head around, by any means. J'onn just happened to have an advantage in doing so. He was the one who at least knew the _myths _about Transcendence before this whole débâcle had began. He was the one who knew all the rumours, including about how the environment of a Transcended cloud was actually controlled by the minds it contained. The problem was, his own mind was too pre-occupied with pain and incoming telepathic imagery to change things himself and force his people out, while he also hadn't the time to explain and teach the techniques to Flash or the other two. They would have to do this closer to the old fashioned way, though in the cloud there was _no _old fashioned way. In here, everything was new. In here, everything was risky.

But they had to try. They were running out of time, a fact which soon became eminently clearer.

The rumble tore through the cloud at that moment, almost throwing Flash off his feet. Wally managed to stumble and keep going, but it was virtually like an earthquake had erupted around them. J'onn knew that it was possible that it could be caused by the Martians or the Imperium with their environmental control, but he also knew that that wasn't the case. He just knew that it was something else, just as it had been before, albeit on a smaller scale.

Something was going on outside. Something that was harming the cloud, perhaps even irretrievably. It could well be destroying it.

With them all still inside it.

"Flash, if you could run any faster, it would be advisable. We have even less time than we thought."

* * *

><p>Shayera battled on, but it was even more futile by the second. Ever since that one glorious moment when it had seemed they had done it, things had been getting worse and worse. The League had been completely unable to stop the cloud from hitting the city. Whole skyscrapers had been absorbed. Countless people were surely lost.<p>

And the cloud had only been in the city for seconds.

Nothing the Justice League had tried had worked, except the one method that had gotten people killed. Everyone was still trying, still looking for some undiscovered combination of their powers that could actually stop this thing. Shayera was very definitely still amongst them. She would fight to the bitterest of ends. But that didn't stop her from feeling secretly pessimistic.

Of course, her encounter with GL hadn't helped things there. Even when it had looked like they were about to die, she had found herself unable to look at him after what he had been putting her through lately with his damn indecisiveness. He had to make up his mind, or she had to move on, or else she would never be able to be near him without her mood being shot to hell, sadness and anger kicking in. In the middle of a battle, sadness was not something to be desired, even if you were one of the stoutest of warriors.

Besides, seeing all those people being lost was providing enough sorrow without GL's effect on her. This cloud _had _to be stopped. Because of that, Superman's call couldn't have come soon enough for her.

"Superman to Captain Atom. We need to regroup. We don't have a choice any more. Regardless of the risks, we need to destroy the cloud. Now."

It didn't stop her from her own actions against the cloud, but it certainly got her attention. In fact, as soon as her latest swing of her fully charged mace had failed just like all of the others, she was looking across the skies desperately for the signs of Superman and Captain Atom to give the cloud the deathly ending it really deserved.

They were quite distant, once she spotted them, but she could certainly see them. And she also saw the icy breath quickly followed by the blasts of radiation, both issuing forth. She made sure that she stayed out of the way. This blast was going to do some real damage. She didn't want to be the one it hit. She didn't want _anyone _to get hit. That was why she decided that perhaps she ought to go and help out the evacuation efforts.

But she did enjoy seeing the cloud get hit, even though it still had a fair chunk of Metropolis now within its confines.

It was even better seeing the first signs of the cloud falling apart.

* * *

><p>The shaking didn't stop like it had done before. It was constant now. Clearly whatever the others on the outside were doing, this time they were determined to see it through. J'onn knew that for the sake of the people of Earth, that could be for the best. However, he also knew that for his people inside the cloud, they had to find another way.<p>

That was why it was a good job that he could sense that he and the Flash had finally caught the Martians attention. J'onn could sense it. Not only was the essence of the bombardment changing to recognition instead of warning, it was also lessening. They definitely knew that he was coming.

"Err... J'onn? Getting difficult to keep upright here..." Flash muttered, regarding the quaking environment. However, J'onn didn't have the chance to reply, to explain to Flash what was happening. He didn't have to. Flash soon saw for himself.

Appearing from nowhere just as the Imperium had done, Martians suddenly sprang up right in front of Flash's path. In fact, Flash had to skid to a halt to avoid hitting them. That, combined with the quakes, sent him crashing to the deck. Since J'onn was draped on his shoulders, he went down too.

"J'onn J'onzz, you are here. You are not meant to be here."

It sounded as if the voice had spoken, but as J'onn pushed himself back up to his feet he could tell that it was instead simply in his mind. And it was the _only _additional voice now in his mind. The Martians must have finally cottoned on, likely due to their new proximity, that what they were doing was only causing him pain, and it was too late to warn him anyway. But now the pain was gone, meaning J'onn was only a fraction behind Flash in returning to stand in the shaking lands of the cloud.

There were at least a dozen Martians standing before him, plain as day. That wasn't all either, as J'onn could sense that there were more on top of that number, only they remained in hiding. He could already sense the sensation of fear they radiated outwards, fear of what the Imperium might do to them should they be discovered. Even in just these seconds, J'onn was getting a very strong sense that these Martians were lost to the cloud quite early in the Imperium's invasion of Mars. These were Martians who had not yet become fully accustomed to fighting and to war, who had not been changed by its horrors to cope with even more of them. They were even looking at Flash almost as if they should be scared of _him _too, just because he wasn't Martian. It was a _very _good job, then, that J'onn was here.

Despite all that he had been through himself, all of his heroics, all the need for quick action for the Earth and for them, it still took J'onn a second before he could react. Being face-to-face again with actual Martians did that to him. It brought the paradoxes of emotion flooding his way even stronger, but he managed to fight them down. They could wait. They _had _to wait until later. Right now they had work to do.

That was why J'onn quickly picked out the one who had spoken into his mind from the bunch by reaching out with his own. He suspected very much that to an untrained eye like Flash's his people would largely look the same, virtually indistinguishable. For J'onn, she looked completely unique.

"You can speak aloud," J'onn verbally responded to her, Flash thankfully having left that task to him. It was the only way they would convince them to listen and not hold on to their fears, talking to someone who didn't have to _earn _their trust. "It is too late to worry about my presence here. We have more pressing issues now. I am sure you have felt what is happening to the environment around us. We have to remove the cloud from the Earth before its people destroy it, and us."

"My name is M'vall Ma'jolnyk," the Martian spokeswoman resumed almost as if she had not heard a word that J'onn had just said, though she did speak verbally this time, causing Flash to look her way too. "Is it true that you are the last of our kind to remain alive, in the traditional sense of the term? We have missed much since we unintentionally learned the Transcendence was real. We tried to pick some of what has happened up telepathically, but we have been buried for so very long."

"That's a girl?" Flash muttered softly in J'onn's ear at the sound of M'vall's voice, but speaking so that only J'onn could hear. "How can you guys tell?"

J'onn ignored his friend's easy distraction. He also ignored M'vall's line of conversation. Now wasn't the time to be telling stories of what had been happening in the Solar System for the past several hundred years. He had to make her see the urgency of the situation, since it was pretty clear already that she was the leader of the pack, the one the rest would truly listen to. However, from the way she had ignored him before, she might also be the type who was difficult to talk to away from their own terms. Still, J'onn had to try and, as another strong quake almost threw them all to the deck, he knew that he _had _to succeed.

"I will tell you everything that you need to know," J'onn spoke directly to M'vall, despite his words applying equally to all of the Martians. "I will do everything in my power to help you rediscover as much as you have lost as I possibly can. But all of that is irrelevant if we do not make this energy cloud move away from this world. As we speak this cloud that is keeping us alive is being destroyed. We have to move it away from the planet so that it is no longer a threat to the people of this world, which in turn will stop them from harming it. We have to do so now."

"I am afraid we cannot do that, J'onn." M'vall's response was immediate, not even a second's worth of thought. That meant that J'onn was instantly feeling downbeat. "We cannot expose ourselves to the Imperium like that. It is not safe."

"Not safe?" Flash incredulously blurted out. "The place is falling apart around you and you won't try to stop it because _it's not safe_? Do you have any idea how stupid that sounds?"

M'vall, typically, ignored the Flash, going on as before. "If we do anything to try and take control away from the Imperium, they will be able to locate us. They will come and they will kill us, and we are not prepared to die, especially with our race so endangered. We will _not _risk it."

"But then we shall all die," J'onn essentially repeated Wally's earlier point. It was a very good one. M'vall and all of the others around her had to register it. They had to _accept _it. And they had to do so now. These quakes were getting stronger. "If you take control, at least there is still a chance that you could live on. If you do nothing, there is no chance. We _will_ all die."

"That is not entirely true, J'onn J'onzz," M'vall was quick to counter, determined. J'onn wished that she wasn't speaking for all of the Martians, but he knew that was a wish without truth. He had only been reunited with his people for moments, but he could already read them perfectly. "There is still a chance, _more _of a chance than if we act. We can sense this cloud in the human city. The Imperium are feeding. They are gathering their strength. Once they are done, they will move the cloud away on its own. They don't fear death any more since the Transcendence. They will gladly risk the end of all things to have their feed. But it is still a better chance for _us _to survive to hope they finish up quickly and back away, than for us to try and force it upon them."

"Okay... J'onn, I thought you're people were meant to be smart?" Flash quipped at that, sounding like he couldn't believe what he was hearing. "That's ridiculous. You're just going to sit here and hope that you're enemies don't let us all get whacked, instead of trying to do something about it? Are you all nuts? If Superman and the rest have a way to destroy this thing and save the world they'll take it. They have no idea we're all in here. There's nothing to mean they wouldn't be willing to see this thing off. You have to back us off now!"

"No!" M'vall reacted, showing her first sign of recognition of Flash. She shouted the word, sounding almost enraged, completely uncooperative. "Our telepathy may give us extra strength over them in here, in this _cloud_ as you put it, but the Imperium have vastly greater numbers, and combined that gives them more strength than we can muster. We _cannot _challenge them. We _cannot _risk getting ourselves killed! _This _is our _only _option, to use our minds to allow us to hide! You must accept this, or you must leave us! We will not let you bring about our downfall."

"_Let us_...?" Flash still obviously couldn't believe his ears. However, the exact nature of his grievances were left unsaid. Another highly intense rumble of everything around them saw to that. The cloud was really starting to fall apart around their ears. It clearly didn't have long if things didn't change. They _couldn't _stay here. They had to move, and it was too late for J'onn and Flash to try anything else. They _had _to get through to these Martians. All of J'onn's initial happiness to see his people again was being lost to annoyance and despair at their foolish, stubborn cowardice.

"Please, I beg of you," J'onn pleaded to M'vall, seeing no other option left available to him. Reason clearly wasn't working. She was refusing to see any line of thought other than her own. From the way that none of the other Martians were speaking up to counter her point of view, it was obvious that either they all felt the same, or this bunch was just subjective enough that they would just do whatever she said. Either way, it had to be _her _that J'onn convinced. "I know you are scared. I know that you are not soldiers, that you never really fought the Imperium when they brought war to our planet. I know that you do not want to be in this situation. But you _are _in this situation. You have to put your own feelings aside. You have to see the bigger picture. You have to go for the greater good, even if it means sacrificing yourselves. I had years of war to learn that lesson. I know asking you to do it in seconds is asking a lot. But I _have _to ask it of you. You _have _to do it. For us. For our entire species. For all the people of this planet that the Imperium have already absorbed. You have to stop this cloud, to force it to leave this world before it is destroyed. I promise that Flash and I shall do everything in our power to protect you. But you _have _to act."

Unfortunately, the response was for M'vall to immediately begin rapidly shaking her head, trembling as she did so to make her fears incredibly prevalent. It was now clearer than ever. There would be no convincing her, not now, not without far more time than they had. There would be no changing her mind. There would be no Martian fight back. They would not be taking control. M'vall's fears, the fears of all of these other Martians... They could cost everyone in this cloud, and perhaps many others too, _everything_.

Suddenly, M'vall's head stopped shaking, but that didn't mean J'onn had time to hope. He recognised the signs as soon as he saw them, where someone like Flash might take a moment to do so. J'onn saw as the eyes of M'vall and all of the other Martians began to glow in the exact same moment that they all stilled. They were telepathically sensing something, something which J'onn wasn't privy to, nor could he be without knowing who or what they were sensing. What was more, he couldn't invade on the minds of M'vall and the others either, not without risking interrupting or even doing damage. J'onn was definitely curious about what it was that was so important that all the Martians suddenly had to stop and share it. However, he didn't need to hear their thoughts to know that they weren't doing the one thing telepathically that they _needed _to do. They weren't stopping the cloud.

"What the heck are they doing _now_?" Flash exclaimed when he had cottoned on. He sounded more than frustrated now. J'onn couldn't really blame him for that either. J'onn was certainly frustrated himself. Facing death because the few who could stop it were too scared to act would do that to any man. When those few were your own race who were thought long dead until just moments ago, destroying all sense of joy, that feeling got a lot worse. It was so bad that J'onn refused to even let himself think about it.

Instead, his mind just went back to his wife, his _human _wife, and to his newly adopted species. While the other Martians were distracted, there wasn't exactly much else that he could do. That was why J'onn dared to reach out, to try to make contact with his wife, knowing this could be his last chance to do so. Especially with time surely so short. But, from here in the cloud, he couldn't get through. That ruined his mood even more.

"Hey, J'onn. Are we boned?"

Flash's question drew J'onn back to the young Speedster. J'onn knew what answer was perhaps closest to the truth, but he had long since learned that in this game it was for the best to simply ignore all of the odds. He didn't have to lie. No doubt Flash knew all this anyway. But he did have to say a truth that could inspire hope.

"Do not give up, my friend. There is still a chance. We are not the _only _hope here. Don't lose sight of that."

"Yeah, Bats and Wondy..." Flash muttered back, hardly sounding joyous. Almost being thrown over by another quake saw to that. "Should we go lend them a hand? I can get us there in no ti–"

But he couldn't. He couldn't even finish the sentence, even though J'onn knew how it would end. It was at that moment that M'vall and the other Martians returned from their telepathic escapade, and they did so with immediate interruption.

"You did not come here alone," M'vall voiced for all of them again. It was not really a question, much more of a statement, but she still paused at the end of it, waiting for J'onn to respond. Feeling his entire body shaking to its core as the cloud around him threatened to collapse meant that he had no desire to wait long himself.

"No. Along with Flash there were two more, a man and woman born of the planet below."

"We can sense them. They are engaging the Imperium as we speak. They are attempting to move the cloud as you asked of us. But on their current path, where there two there will soon just be one."

"What?" Flash virtually exploded at that. J'onn didn't need telepathy to know the thought that had just crashed into Wally's head. From what M'vall had just said...

Either Batman or Wonder Woman were likely dying right now. If they weren't lost already.

It suddenly seemed like an age since J'onn had been telling Flash not to give up hope, that those two could yet save the day. And it suddenly seemed like no hope was left.

But then J'onn sensed it too, sensed exactly what it was that the Martians truly meant. It had taken longer for him to pick up on it telepathically, but he was certainly doing so now. And he couldn't believe what he was detecting. He should have known better than to give up with Batman and Wonder Woman around.

Hope still remained.

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN:**_

_I know at least one of you (and probably more) are waiting for more Batman and Wonder Woman after their last bit, and don't worry, they're the stars of the next chapter. Just don't expect to get all the answers about them, and particularly what Batman's thinking, just yet. As the fact I've got another chapter without them up here ought to show, this tale has more strings to its bow than just that, even if it is the big one._

_Anyways, review on as normal, friends! Cheerybye for now._


	12. Chapter 11: Molossus

**Chapter 11: Molossus**

The quakes had chosen just about the worst possible time to return. They had started up again at the exact same moment that Wonder Woman had charged into action, ready to tear the Imperium apart that were blocking their path to the core of the cloud. Thankfully, she was able to simply take off and fly over the tremors, but that didn't mean that she didn't recognise the dangers as a whole. The need to win this fight was even more pressing than ever.

Not that Wonder Woman needed any more motivation. She didn't even need the threat of so many innocents' deaths to make her want to fight, not this time. Batman had seen to it that her rage was overflowing anyway.

She knew that behind her Bruce was charging into battle too, albeit without her speed having nothing there to fire his signature grapnel onto in order to literally swing into action. She knew that his mind would surely be working away even as the testosterone began coursing once again. He would be trying to figure out what these quakes were, if it affected their plans at all, and he would somehow continue to do so even in a few seconds time when he was in the midst of the Imperium horde. She knew him well enough to know that with absolute certainty. She also knew him well enough to know that she could leave all of that side of things to him. She could let him be the one to worry about the increasingly aggressive tremors. She only need worry about not letting it affect her.

She need only worry about the battle. For her, everything else could wait until afterwards. _Everything, _no matter how pressing it might be on her mind.

For the fighting had begun.

Even as she flew the energy blasts were being fired at her by the Imperium soldiers, but she had both arms raised ready in front of her. It was a simple task for her to start batting all the shots away, not letting any get through. She even managed to send a few straight back at their shooters, creating at least temporary holes in the bodies of all of the ones she hit.

But that wasn't the only reason that her fists were raised. She was on the Imperium in a heartbeat, her fists a whirlwind of motion as she tore all the ones nearest to her apart. They tried to stop her, but they just hadn't the strength. Even if they'd been solid they wouldn't have done. Getting in this close, it was easy for Wonder Woman to take the Imperium's guns out of the equation, literally tearing them from their owners hands before ripping apart the owners themselves with her powerful strength. Of course, these gelatinous beings could well reform quickly, but for now they were done.

The problem there was that Wonder Woman had only struck a few of them, and that there was a whole lot more where they had come from. A whole lot more between them and their chance of saving the day.

But she wasn't alone either. The batarangs came whistling past her just as the last of her bunch melted in her hands. More of the aliens had been starting to come after her, drawing their weapons her way from all sides. That was until the batarangs had struck, anyway. These weren't a type that Wonder Woman had seen before. They were a combination of the old explosive variety and Batman's smoke pellets, both blowing up around the nearest Imperium to Wonder Woman that were still standing and simultaneously creating a smokescreen all around her, preventing any more distant soldiers from getting a shot at her. Through the smoke they had no aim, and the few shots they did get close to being on target were easy to swat away. The ranged attack had been effectively taken out of the equation, but she couldn't just stand here and wait for the Imperium to come to her. Wonder Woman was about to surge through the smoke to engage the enemy head on when she heard the growl, now right beside her.

"Superman and the rest must have found a way of destroying the cloud," Batman informed her, clearly referring to the ongoing quakes. He spoke quickly, urgently, completely _emotionless_. It made Wonder Woman's anger build some more, even as she shielded him from those shots getting through the smoke. "And if the Boy Scout is looking to destroy a potential life form, things must be bad. The cloud must be right by the surface, which means people are getting absorbed. Now we have to do more than move the cloud. We have to warn Superman that those people aren't dead, that they're alive in here with us, before he gets us _all _killed."

Even as Batman was speaking Wonder Woman could have sworn that she saw some human civilians suddenly appear from nowhere behind them, before disappearing equally as quickly. They were in and out so fast it was almost like they weren't ever really there, but Wonder Woman knew that her eyes weren't deceiving her. Those people were now also trapped in the cloud, out of their bodies. And they were coming in in droves. Endless droves. It didn't take a genius to recognise the cloud must have settled over an entire city, nor that those captured citizens were being whisked away immediately to wherever the Imperium wanted to turn them into human batteries. Those people were in dire need of help. Yet there was nothing that neither Wonder Woman or Batman could do for those people right now, even as they continued to stream into the cloud and then out of sight straight away. They were going too quick for even Flash to have caught them. All they could do was make sure that they _all _survived this.

They had to get these Imperium out of the way. They had to reach the core. They had to stop the cloud's attack. _Now_.

"Then I suggest we get back to it!" Wonder Woman snapped at Batman in response to his urgent statement. She didn't wait for his reply. There was nothing stopping her this time. Taking off a metre into the air, she soared through the smokescreen as fast as she could muster, fists once again raised at the ready. She would not fail those people.

The smoke swirled in a vortex as she surged through. It turned out that she did so just in time. The Imperium had not been sitting back and waiting for them to act. They had been charging themselves, ready to pass through the smoke themselves and remove the defence Batman had provided. In fact, they had managed to get close enough to it that they had no reaction time at all to deal with the enraged Amazonian Princess raging their way. They hadn't the chance to stop her beating them all. It took just one brilliantly aimed throw of her tiara for every one of the latest brave batch of aliens to be split in two, collapsing to the ground like falling rain.

Wonder Woman just caught the looping tiara before more of the countless Imperium around her finally managed to react to her assault, getting her hands free again in time to keep those shots away. Just. There was at least one very close call, but Wonder Woman was not about to dwell on it.

Her charge through Batman's smokescreen had been aimed straight for that towering pillar of light that was surely the cloud's control core, an effort to create a path through to it. However, the Imperium weren't stupid. They must have seen what she was doing, especially as she had made no real efforts to hide it. Showing tactical nouse of their own, Wonder Woman watched as they began to reorganise, to get more bodies in her path, blocking her way.

But she, too, wasn't stupid. And the Imperium had no idea that it wasn't actually _her _that needed that path through. Their's had been a good strategy to at least keep her at bay for a time, but it could also play straight into her hands. If she could keep drawing them all too her, then perhaps Batman could do what he did best; make it past the enemy completely unnoticed. Perhaps she could keep the enemy busy enough to allow Batman a route to the core. It wasn't the most cunning of strategies, but given the dwindling time constraints it would have to do.

And so she engaged again, going right into the heart of the Imperium horde even as they began to circle her position. She wanted to look behind her, to see if Batman had cottoned on to the plan, to see if he had made it safely out of the smoke, but she didn't dare to, not without risking giving her plan away to the enemy. She just had to hope, and have faith in Batman's well proven abilities. For now, she would have to just focus on utilising her own.

It was a flurry of motion. Wonder Woman kept the Imperium close, on all sides. As she turned one into a puddle on the floor, she made sure another stepped forward and took its place. It meant that she couldn't stop fighting for even the merest fraction of a second. She had to constantly keep on guard from even sides that she couldn't see. She had to keep her fists flinging around, keep twisting and turning, keep countering endless attempts to strike or kill her as the Imperium turned their own equivalent of fists into deadly weapons.

But in doing so, she was also stopping them from shooting at her, and in turn that meant she was drawing more in ever closer. She kept fighting them, kept holding them off and defeating them all at the same time. Even when they did get the odd punch through, she refused to allow herself to feel the pain. She just kept going. She kept _infuriating _them by her refusal to go down, her refusal to be beaten, her refusal to die. She was keeping them a hundred percent focussed on her. It didn't matter if it wasn't something that she would be able to keep up indefinitely. She just had to buy enough time. The gods would see to the rest.

_Bruce _would see to the rest.

It was just as she punched another Imperium soldier apart that both she and all of the aliens saw it at once. It was one of the oddest of moments that could occur in the midst of such an intense a battle. For a second, _everyone _just stopped the fighting and looked up across the battleground. Their signal to do so was the sound of another explosive batarang, especially as it came from the same direction as the core. Wonder Woman looked up just as the fires faded, no smokescreen accompanying this one. She looked up just in time to see all the Imperium left on guard up there fall under the flames.

She looked up just in time to see that, completely unnoticed, Batman had made it through.

He was a stark contrast against the core, the man dressed in black against the intensity of light. Still, it was unmistakable seeing him take his hands and lay them flat against it. No, laying them flat _inside _it. He was in. However that thing worked, Wonder Woman knew that Batman had made it in. From what she was seeing she immediately figured that, just as being physically inside the cloud took one's mind away into the entity, physical contact with the core must provide mental access to the cloud's _brain_, access to hopefully control this thing. She also figured that Batman must have already known that, reminding her again about all the emotions she had tried to bury down since the fight had begun. Thankfully this time she had even more motivation to allow her to quickly fight them away.

The plan to get Batman to the core had worked. Now he just had to stay alive up there long enough to save them, all those civilians lost to the cloud and all that remained alive down below in the real world.

And she was _his_ only hope.

Batman's success may have caused all the fighters in the battle to momentarily pause, but it was a _short_ moment. The Imperium practically seemed to forget that Wonder Woman was in amongst them upon seeing the Dark Knight up there with the core like that. With his back to them and his hands – and focus – clearly in that core, the Imperium must have thought that he was an easy target, not to mention a vital one. Considering that they had so many defending this thing, they would surely want Batman dead before he could utilise it against them, and there was nothing that he could do to stop them achieving that goal, or he would already have done it. Scores of Imperium rifles were already trailing his way.

But there was still plenty that Wonder Woman could do.

She was not slow to act. Quite the opposite, in fact. The lasso was drawn from her hip in less time than it would take to bat an eyelid. It didn't take her much longer to unleash it either. The Imperium never got the chance to shoot before she had them. The lasso swallowed within its noose all the scores who were a fraction away from shooting Batman down. A quick tug on the rope and that noose tightened. All Wonder Woman had been thinking about was dragging those alien fiends off of their feet, ruining their aim at the very least. As things were, crashing the Imperium together as the lasso dragged so many to such a small focal point saw each of the gunmen felled into a mass puddle of white on the floor. There was nothing they could do to harm Batman now. It would surely take them too long to separate themselves out from _that _mess.

But those still weren't the only Imperium around, not by a long shot. They were just the ones who had been quickest on the draw. And Batman was still more than busy with the core. Wonder Woman only needed the briefest of glances to see that it definitely still had his full attention. With all these Imperium still around, that meant he still needed defending and, just as she had promised, she would be his guardian angel throughout it all.

It was one of the shortest flights she had ever taken, but Wonder Woman threw herself high into the air, soaring the small gap that had stood between her and where Batman was at the light of the core. Mid-air she twisted so that she came down back-to-back with the Dark Knight, landing with her bracelets at the ready. It took next to no time for her to get there, but she still only just made it in time. The Imperium were no mugs. Just because she had beaten the quickest and the nearest, the rest were still going to open fire at the sight of the biggest threat their plans had faced.

The blasts bounced off her bracelets as Wonder Woman used all of her speed and skill to keep the unequivocal multitude of incoming shots at bay, shielding Batman, who didn't even seem to be paying any notice to all that was going on just behind him. In that instant Wonder Woman felt sure this was the toughest barrage she had ever had to keep at bay, there was so much coming in from so many different angles. It was like some sort of crazy dance, the way she was having to move her hands to stop them all. She didn't know how long she would actually be able to keep them all at bay, didn't know how long it would be until one shot would manage to sneak its way through. The amount that there were, and the plausibly endless nature of them, made that scenario entirely possible, regardless of all of her skill and experience. Already Wonder Woman felt the unusual sensation of the effort needed being slightly draining. Already her teeth were gritted in angry determination.

But she had a reason to stop them all, a bigger reason than she had ever had before when using her bracelets for protection. She wasn't only saving the world. She wasn't only protecting herself. She was saving Bruce, warts and all. The Imperium would _not _get past her. She would make sure of it. She had to. She had to keep them well and truly at bay. All of them.

Or else she would truly lose _everything_.

Wonder Woman was so focused on the effort that she hardly noticed as suddenly the magnitude of incoming shots began to wane. It took her several moments before she began to truly clock on, before her eyes showed her the truth beyond the image her mind had created to help her fight on without distraction. It was then that she noticed that not only were the Imperium steadily ceasing to fire, they were retreating, falling back like the waves of the ocean. One by one they were vanishing, disappearing, lost to the environment as the first batch they had fought within this energy cloud had done earlier. Wonder Woman remained en guard as long as any remained, the fall back of the aliens gradual, but it was almost immediately clear that they were pulling out.

The thing was though, Wonder Woman had no idea what that truly meant. She didn't know if ultimately it was a good thing or not. She didn't know what it would mean for the outside world, for the people that the cloud was threatening. She didn't know what it would mean for all of them already swallowed up by the cloud. She didn't know _why..._

Only when the last soldier was gone did she dare to look around. Even then she had to make sure the coast was clear first. With so many of them being around, it would have been easy for one of the Imperium to not vanish with the rest, to try and unleash some sort of trap. Wonder Woman would not allow herself to fall victim to such a ploy, but she also wasn't going to stand around waiting for one once it became obvious that none was forthcoming. Only then did she turn around.

What she saw when she did so was startling. The second she saw it she was amazed that she even needed to turn to notice it. The central core, that pillar of light, was _pulsating_. It was glowing even brighter than before, pulsing the light in bursts that climbed from the bottom right up into the higher reaches were visibility faded. The pulses were so strong and bright that Wonder Woman could practically feel the energy radiating through them. Immediately she was convinced that it was the reason the Imperium had pulled out. Whatever the core was doing, it had them running. It had given them a reason to no longer want to be here, and that reason could very well have been fear.

But Wonder Woman felt some of her own then. Whatever was going on with that control cluster of the cloud, Batman was still touching it, his hands still inside it. If those pulses really were something that the Imperium feared...

But no. Wonder Woman threw aside the doubts as forcefully as she could. Batman was still standing, his face and jaw still firmly set in concentration. What was more, there was no signs of pain, no signs that the cloud's core was doing severe damage to him. She couldn't let her personal feelings cloud her judgement. She had to stick to the facts, just as Batman would be doing if positions were reversed. He was still working, using the control cluster to fight the cloud's assault on the Earth. He was undoubtedly the cause of the Imperium's flight. Now that they were gone, she had to see if there was something that she could do to help him.

"Bruce, what's–?" she began to ask, but infuriatingly he must have known that it was coming, even with all that was distracting him from his surroundings.

"I told the cloud that its had had its fill," he explained in answer to the unfinished question. His voice was steady, without pain, though there were traces of strain from the effort he must have been putting in to the core, in making his thoughts dominant. "It's in Metropolis right now. The Justice League are trying to stop it. Superman and Captain Atom have found a way to destroy it, but its already absorbed hundreds if not thousands of people. The Imperium _are_ trying to draw more in to give them greater control of the cloud as a whole. I couldn't manage to convince the core to back away by command. So I tried a different tack. I told it that the Imperium had all the minds absorbed that they desired, that they needed. I told the cloud that it didn't have to stand around and let Superman and Captain Atom destroy it. I told the cloud it no longer had any need to hang around. I told the cloud that it could back off on its own. That meant the Imperium no longer had a need to defend this place. They think they've got enough minds on hand already to counter anything that we do and that its more important for the soldiers to be getting to work manipulating those captive minds so that they can use their energies to get even more power over the cloud. That way they can try and counteract the damage Superman's causing."

"So do we still have a problem?" Wonder Woman quickly asked. She could tell that Batman's tone had a distinct lack of finality to it. "Aside from finding some way of rescuing the citizens of Metropolis and then getting us all out of here, I mean."

"Unfortunately," was Batman's grim reply. His teeth bared slightly as he spoke this time. He was clearly proving an old adage wrong. He was a man multi-tasking; talking to her and working the control cluster all at the same time. "The job's not done. The people aren't safe yet. The cloud won't be quick enough. Superman and Captain Atom's assault is working. The cloud won't be out of Metropolis before they've destroyed it, and they can't stop attacking until its clear, for the people's sake. They can't know what's happening, they can't know that it's pulling out, that it's had it's feed for now. They can't know that everyone in here is still alive. We have to warn them, before they destroy the cloud, us and all of those absorbed civilians. Our bodies may be kept alive out there, but if this cloud goes, there is no way back for our minds. _Any _of our minds. If we don't stop Superman, we'll all die."

"So how do we do that? How can I help?" Wonder Woman rather desperately questioned. It was clear that they didn't have long, but her warrior spirit meant that no matter how long they had she couldn't just sit back and watch things unfold. She knew that the two of them were surely the only hope. If the Martians were able and willing to use their powers to stop the Imperium and move the cloud away, Wonder Woman knew that Wally and J'onn would have gotten through to them by now. But they clearly hadn't. No, it was surely all up to her and Bruce.

"I need to go deeper into the core, bypass the Imperium's control," Batman answered with a growl. Even as he was speaking Wonder Woman could see him pushing his arms literally deeper in, halfway up the forearms now. Not only that, but his voice got slightly more strained. "I doubt I can take full control, but I might be able to send a message. Princess, I need you to stand back. Whatever happens, keep away from the core. No matter what it does to me, don't join me in there. It's too dangerous."

"Bruce, I'm not just going to stand here and watch you suff–!" Wonder Woman immediately began to protest. She could see what he was doing. It was what he always did, preparing to risk sacrificing himself rather than allow anyone else to share the danger, even if it diminished that risk. Well, she was not going to allow it this time. However, Batman was most insistent.

"Princess, please! You can't join me in the core. Promise me that you won't, and I promise you that I'll explain everything to you as soon as we're safe. You have to trust me!"

He sounded almost like he was pleading, but it was not that that won Diana over. He had said he would tell her everything, that he would explain everything to her. And it was clear that he meant _everything_. He was going to give her the answers she had sought since she had first seen him back in the Watchtower teleporter bay what now seemed like an entire age ago. She was going to find out if they had a future, if his paranoia had made him go back on his word. There was no _if_ in his promise, no doubts that he wouldn't survive this if he did it alone. Of course that could be due to arrogance or hidden truths, but Wonder Woman _did _trust Batman. Implicitly.

"Do it," she softly said in simple response. She didn't need to say more. She just backed away a couple of steps to give Batman the indication he needed. However, she couldn't hold back from giving him a kiss on the cheek before she did so. Batman seemed to pause for the briefest of moments after that, but as soon as Wonder Woman stepped back his attention was back fully on the core. He even pushed his arms in deeper, right up to the elbows.

The next few seconds felt like the longest ones that Wonder Woman had ever known. She was watching everything and nothing all at the same time as Batman's full concentration was unleashed on the cloud. She couldn't tell what it was that he was doing, and she couldn't see if it was working or not. But she could see the pulsing light climbing the tower of brightness getting even stronger, even more rapid. Batman was certainly doing _something_. But at the end of those seconds, Wonder Woman got very scared that '_was' _was the key word in that sentence.

For it was then that Batman started to yell. There was warning signs, but she was too slow to react to them. Batman had begun trembling even more than the still shaking environment, starting with those arms buried in the core but expanding throughout his entire body. At the end of that, the yells began, with increase volume every moment.

And they were pained yells. _Very _pained yells. Batman was being wounded by his efforts, hurt. Badly.

In that moment Wonder Woman knew that what she had told him didn't matter. She had stepped back based on the thought that Bruce would be safe, that he wouldn't be hurt by his efforts, that he would survive. Now she could see that that thought had clearly been a wrong one. Batman was suffering. She couldn't just stand back and watch. It was in her character to help those in need, regardless of who they were. For the one man she would ever truly love, that trait was amplified countless times over. Besides, Batman couldn't _know _how this core worked. No-one could. Even the Martians had believed this form of life was a myth. Batman could have been wrong about this thing. Wonder Woman was not about to let that possibility get him killed, no matter the risks to herself, no matter that it would mean breaking her word.

And so she leapt forward, springing into action once again. Batman's screams were as endless as J'onn's had been earlier. In no time Wonder Woman was at his side. In even less she had her own hands plunged into the core, ensuring as she did so that her left hand grabbed hold of his right. She didn't know how this thing worked. She didn't dare just pull Batman out of there, not knowing what effect that would have on his body and mind. She didn't dare sacrifice all those civilians absorbed by the cloud, the Martians, J'onn and Flash too, just to stop Bruce hurting.

But maybe she could help him. Maybe she could take the hits from the core, maybe she could be the one it hurt instead of Batman, allowing him to focus on saving the world. Her gods-given endurance would mean she could take more than he could. Perhaps together they could end this. Perhaps in doing this together, she could save _him_.

However, before she could even begin to feel the sensations and effects of mentally accessing the cloud's core, she felt the pain. The same sort of pain that was still flooding into Batman began flooding into her, and she couldn't hold back from screaming too. It was intense. It was like her head was being split open many times over.

But then, _through_ the pain, she began to feel something else, something _more_. She began to _see _more. It was odd, it wasn't the normal way of sight, but she could suddenly see all around the cloud as well as within it. She could see Superman and Captain Atom and how they were destroying the cloud. She could see and feel the urgency of the Imperium to get out of there now that they were convinced they had what they needed.

And she could see Batman's ongoing efforts to warn Superman about what was really going on. Suddenly she could see exactly what he was doing, almost as if the thoughts were her own. She didn't hesitate before joining in, instantly knowing exactly what do to to lend her own strength to his efforts. She concentrated away from the pain, firmly focussing onto those efforts. What was more, she could see them starting to work.

But it was in that moment that she saw something else, that she recognised something else that was going on here. She realised _why _Batman's plan had suddenly felt like it was her own. As more such thoughts began flooding to her, so did more pain. The sudden desire to extract herself from the cloud was intense as her mind rapidly felt like it was being overloaded with thoughts and images, but she had to resist.

Wonder Woman knew that Batman would now be feeling the same thing, that they _both _had to get out of the core before they were lost to it. She _knew _that.

But even as both she and Batman continued to scream in pain, Wonder Woman also knew that they had to wait, that they had to stay in there until their warning to Superman got through.

They just had to manage that before the core consumed them both, before they were both _lost_...

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><p><em><strong>AN:**_

**_There you go. Took longer than I thought to get this out to you all but life got in the way for a while there. _**

**_Anyways, enjoy, and don't forget to let me know what you're all thinking via the reviews!_**


	13. Chapter 12: Signs of the Times

**Chapter 12: Signs of the Times**

Superman had flown up high as soon as his short call-to-arms to Captain Atom had ended, only waiting long enough for a short-lived look back to Lois, to make sure that she understood that he had to do this. Her slight nod of response had been all that he had needed. After that, there was nothing else for it. It was time to destroy this energy cloud, and hope that it didn't manage to take many of the citizens of Metropolis out with it.

Every last molecule of breath in his lungs was being expelled at the energy cloud, freezing it, almost _solidifying _it. Simultaneously and not too far away, Captain Atom had begun unleashing radioactive bursts into the energy mass as well.

And it was clearly working. The cloud was visibly shaking, starting to vibrate uncontrollably as if struggling to keep itself together and not break apart as that tentacle had earlier done. It also seemed to be being ever so slightly pushed back by the attack, out away from the city, but Superman could tell that it wasn't moving quick enough for that to be relied on. Captain Atom, without a fuel source, had limited energies he could expel at that thing, and they only had one shot at this. Much as it pained him, they _had_ to destroy the cloud, and hope the costs weren't too high afterwards.

But they had to save as many lives as they could in the process as well. That was what the rest of the Justice League were up to. Now that Superman and Captain Atom had their way of stopping the cloud, it was wasted energy for the others to be assaulting it too, especially as all of their efforts had proved so very futile. Therefore they had taken on new roles. The vast majority, lead by Shayera, had dropped down into the city, directly beneaththe cloud. They were taking people right out from under its shadow, moving them away so that if the cloud collapsed and fell they wouldn't be caught in the radius, so they wouldn't die as those people had earlier. The exception there was Green Lantern. He too was under the cloud, but his ring had proved to at least be better at holding the energy being at bay than anything else the League had at their disposal. He was the safety net, the last chance if Shayera and the others didn't get people out in time. He was there to catch the pieces when they crumbled.

Superman had faith in his friends. It was a key part of his character. He always trusted his friends, he always had hope. Even when distraught about his involvement in those citizens' deaths just moments ago, he never lost the abundant good in him. He knew that, one way or another, at least _one _of his friends would help him ensure that they saved these people. He couldn't be who he was if he didn't have that hope.

But in such a short time this cloud had come damn close to ridding him off it. There could be no doubts that it was deadly, that it was a menace worthy of having so many of Earth's finest focussing solely against it. That it had got this far unchecked was almost unthinkable, yet this cloud had found a way to not only manage that feat, but to also likely cost him a lot of good friends along the way.

Perry. Jimmy. Wally. J'onn.

_Diana_..._ Bruce_...

He kept the freeze breath coming, puffing it out even harder than ever as those thoughts crossed his mind. This cloud _had _to be stopped. He _would _stop it.

And he _was_ stopping it, with Captain Atom's help. He could see it. He was watching the cloud _very _closely, and he could definitely see it. The cloud was starting to break up. With the rest of the League in place, they were about to defeat it. They were going to win. They were about to destroy the menace before it could do even more damage...

But then, suddenly, Superman's entire mindset changed. Before his eyes something started to happen, completely out of the blue. It was something totally unexpected, something that shocked him so much that Superman completely forgot to keep his freeze breath blowing. For before him the cloud was changing shape, into a very _familiar _one instead. Roughly, perhaps requiring a weather eye, but Superman spotted it, no doubts about it. He also knew deep down in his heart of hearts – though he couldn't explain how – exactly what it must mean.

The cloud had formed the Bat-symbol. Batman was still alive and, _somehow_, he was within that cloud...

But that wasn't even the end of it. The Bat-symbol had hardly even begun to solidify when the cloud began to alter again. The Bat-symbol remained in place amid the swirling hulk of energy, only it was now not standing alone.

Wonder Woman's logo had formed right across its centre. Diana was in there too. They were _both _alive...

And they were both in the cloud... So therefore J'onn, Flash and all those people from Metropolis could well be too. The cloud that he and Captain Atom were about to destroy...

The friends they were about to _doom_...

Superman could literally feel as his eyes widened in horror. What were they doing? He had to stop this. _Now_. He had to save the cloud. He couldn't sacrifice those people inside that thing. He couldn't doom them to die. There was no safety net to guard _them _if the cloud was destroyed. There would be no way out for any of them. He knew that Batman, Wonder Woman and the others would be prepared to sacrifice themselves should they have to, which was why he also knew that their emblems appearing before him was a sign, a message. He had to stop what he and Captain Atom were doing. His friends inside the cloud had their own plan to stop it. He had to have faith in them. He had to have hope.

He had to trust them. It was the only way.

As soon as he got his reactions back under control, Superman's eyes darted up towards where Captain Atom hovered a few metres away. It was immediately clear that the ex-military man hadn't noticed the change that was now all that Superman could think about. Superman may have stopped unleashing his freeze-breath on the cloud the moment he had realised it was a Bat-symbol forming, but that didn't mean that there wasn't plenty of it already frozen. What was more, Captain Atom was still unleashing the radiation at the menace, still making it look ever nearer to its the final end, and the final end of all those within it. Superman had to stop him.

Shouting would take too long, too. Words would take longer to reach Captain Atom than Superman himself could manage thanks to his super speed. Explanations could wait. They weren't needed until after Batman, Wonder Woman and the rest of the countless innocents were saved. That was why Superman didn't bother to use them yet. He just flew. Fast.

And then he tackled Captain Atom. Hard.

It took Captain Atom a moment to figure out what was happening, by which time Superman had been able to spin the man around, to redirect the radiation out harmlessly into empty air.

"Superman, what are you–?" Captain Atom began to protest in confusion.

"Reacting to that! We have to stop this!" Superman answered before Captain Atom had even finished his question. As he spoke he had gestured across to the cloud. To the Batman/Wonder Woman symbol, to be precise, the combined logo still formed strong amongst the mass of energy, practically glowing. Captain Atom's jaw pretty much dropped as comprehension hit him too, but Superman wasn't done.

"GL!" he shouted out to the nearby Green Lantern, who had been watching closely what Superman was doing from his position beneath the cloud. His experience both from his role as a Green Lantern and from his past life as a marine had meant that John Stewart had been keeping a watchful eye on things, so he had not missed Superman's action. That meant that he was also ready to listen to Superman's shout, and react to what he was to hear. "Our people the cloud took, they're still alive! They're _inside _that thing! And I think they have their own way of stopping it destroying the city! We have to undo what we've been doing! We can't let the cloud die! Help me warm it back up!"

"You got it!" was GL's shouted reply. He had evidently picked up on the combined logo in the cloud himself, be it off his own back or as a consequence of Superman's gesture. How, though, didn't matter. All that mattered to Superman was that John immediately got to work. Superman didn't wait around himself either. Captain Atom, who had listened in on what Superman had been saying, could do nothing but watch on as Lantern unleashed the power of his ring and Superman used his laser vision to undo everything they had been doing. They put the heat and energy back into the cloud. They _stopped _it from crumbling.

They gave Bruce and Diana a chance.

Before Superman could see if it was a chance that was taken, though, his earpiece was going off again.

"Err, Supes," Green Arrow's voice reverberated out of the unit. He sounded nervous, doubtful. "Care to tel–"

"Superman!" General Mulligan's voice took over tumultuously, cutting Arrow off completely. If the comm call hadn't been over a device firmly in Green Arrow's ear Superman would have sworn that the General had just stolen the mike. "At the risk of repeating myself, what the _bloody hell _are you doing?"

"I'll explain everything to you in a minute, General," Superman replied even as he continued to use his laser vision on the cloud, knowing Arrow could forward on the words if Mulligan hadn't actually somehow nabbed his comm. The job wasn't done yet. The General would have to wait. "Until then I'm afraid you'll have to trust me. Just know that we have a new plan. We're not giving up."

"That's not good eno–!" Mulligan began to roar in countenance, but Superman didn't want to hear it. Risking the General's rage when he went to explain things, Superman cut the connection. He and Green Lantern were giving Bruce and Diana this chance, regardless of the General's feelings.

And it was a chance that the two, who he had thought lost, were taking.

The cloud, now that it wasn't under assault, was truly backing away. Without being pushed, the thing was actually starting to _leave _the city...

_Somehow_, Batman and Wonder Woman had saved the day. _Somehow_, they were still alive.

Superman cut his heat vision at last at that thought, though Green Lantern did continue the work using his power ring. Superman had decided their was something else that he quickly had to check on.

"Mr. Terrific, it's Superman," he called out into his comm the instant he hit it on. "The cloud's backing off but I need a status report. Batman, Wonder Woman, J'onn and Flash. How are they doing? Has their condition changed?"

"Am I glad to see that cloud in retreat! I thought it had us for a moment there," Mr Terrific commented before actually answering Superman's question. "There's been no word from the doctors yet. But I'd have been notified if there had been any change, for better or worse, so their conditions must all still be the same as when you left. I'm sorry."

"Perhaps you shouldn't be," Superman gave the rather odd sounding reply. "It might sound crazy but I'm sure that its _them_ who just saved the city. Listen, I'll explain everything later, There's more work to be done down here."

"Roger. Good luck Superman." Mr. Terrific ended the call there, not delaying things despite surely having plenty of questions. Superman was thankful to him for that. As he watched, the cloud continued to back away. Even as Green Lantern halted heating it too, even with none of them acting against it at all any more, it was still heading both up into the skies and out across to the bay beyond Metropolis' harbour. Green Lantern had soon flown over to join Superman and Captain Atom in watching it go, but before he even said anything Superman knew that there was something else he had to do.

"Any idea how the hell they just did that, or is this one of those times when its better not to ask questions?" GL's baritones rang out through the air.

"Considering what we've just seen I don't think there'll be any stopping those questions," Superman commented in reaction before turning to Captain Atom. "Captain, gather up any of the League who aren't busy with the evacuation and stand guard up here. Keep an eye on that thing. We need to be ready if it starts coming back."

"You got it," Captain Atom saluted, before heading off across the skies to do his duty, following Superman's instructions.

"And what about us?" GL was quickly asking, wanting to know what Superman was thinking.

"I've got to go and explain the situation to the men on the ground, and then we start thinking up a new plan," Superman answered, though he sighed before he said any of it. "We've got to figure out a way of getting our people out of that thing before it decides to attack again. But I'll give you a heads up. I think the General I've got to go and speak to might be a little annoyed that I halted the plan to destroy that thing. He might be of the more trigger happy variety."

"I've seen plenty of them in my time," Green Lantern quipped, looking like that wasn't the best news that he had received today. "Come on, let's go."

* * *

><p>Shayera had witnessed the events unfold. She had been down in the city, helping evacuate people from the as yet untouched skyscrapers, but she had still seen the combined logos form within the energy cloud. She had figured out what they must have meant, and she was more than glad when it seemed that Superman had too. Batman and Wonder Woman had just saved them. <em>Somehow<em>.

And Shayera wanted answers. She wanted in when the explanations were given, or the questions voiced. Once she had her civilians dropped off at the military's evacuation point, she was quickly soaring over to the forward command, to where Green Arrow was stationed with General Mulligan. She knew that with that cloud heading off to the skies over the ocean, that would be Superman's first port of call, and the big Kryptonian was the one who seemed most in the know at the minute. Not that he likely knew much though...

Superman had already landed at the forward command post by the time Shayera had arrived. And he had brought GL with him. Great. More time forced to be spent in his company. Shayera could still hardly believe it considering the fact she loved him with every aspect of her being, but she really wished that the two of them could just keep away from each other until he could sort out his damn feelings. But no, duty always came before her needs.

No one said a word as Shayera landed and joined the group. They were all too busy focusing on what was being said to even seem to notice her arrival. With her included there were five of the there, all stood in a circle, seemingly in the midst of a conference of sorts. Green Arrow had definitely tagged along to hear the news, but it was General Mulligan who was doing most of the talking. The man certainly seemed furious, which was odd considering they had actually managed to see the cloud off for the time being.

"...ven thought about what happens next? Hmmm? What happens if that damn thing decides to come back? What if it manages to find a way to counter the only thing that we've found that works against it? You should have destroyed it when you could, Superman! You should be up there destroying it right now! You could be sentencing millions to die by your failure to act!"

"I'm sorry General, but we can't do that," Superman responded, remarkably calmly and diplomatically considering the thundering tide of words that had just been thrown his way by the experienced military leader. "It's difficult to explain, but I believe that the consciousness of all the people that the cloud absorbed are still active, _inside _the cloud. I'm convinced that there must be a way of saving all the people that the cloud took, we just have to find out what it is. We can revive them General, the countless people who are otherwise lost. But if we destroy that cloud then we're giving up that chance. We'll essentially be killing them. We can't do that."

"Damn it man, haven't you ever heard of the _greater_ good?" Mulligan countered, though part of the wind seemed to have been knocked from his sails. He might be brash, he might be perhaps a bit too ready to pull the trigger, but it did seem that deep down he was a good man. What was more, in that moment, Shayera realised that he was actually a good man right up to the surface. He just happened to also be a scared one, scared of what that cloud could actually do, to him and to everyone else. He couldn't show it being a man of his position, which was why he instead seemed impulsively aggressive, but at that second Shayera's view on this man changed. If they weren't in such a life or death situation, she might even have started to pity him. "I know the term '_acceptable losses_' isn't a good one to ever use, but this could well be one of those situations when we _have_ to use it. You might have to sacrifice everyone who _could _still be alive up there to make sure everyone _stays_ alive down here!"

"I'm sorry General, but while there's any hope at all for those people up there we have to fight for them too," Superman held his ground firmly. "Besides which, I think we have some help from those people on the inside."

"Bats and Diana," Green Arrow chipped in. "One of the spotters down here saw the cloud change its shape for a while back there. You think they've actually somehow got control of that thing?"

"I don't know," Superman answered with a shrug. "But considering their track records I wouldn't put it past either of them – or J'onn and Flash – to find a way. We just have to give them help from our end. We have to find a way to get our people out of there."

Shayera looked up to the skies as Superman said that. She knew that it would be something that was definitely easier said than done. The combined Batman/Wonder Woman symbol had long vanished from the cloud's surface by now, but it was firmly retreated from anywhere where it could do harm. It hung far away in the sky above the ocean, no one near it, but that didn't mean much. It had gotten past the Justice League easily enough the last time. Shayera hoped dearly that whatever Batman and Wonder Woman were doing it was not a short term thing. Time was something that she and the others would dearly need if they were to help truly stop this thing as Superman was saying.

As Shayera turned back to the group, she noticed that John Stewart had been doing the exact same thing she had been doing, looking up at that cloud in the break in the talks. For the briefest of moments their eyes met after that, but Shayera was more than glad when Mulligan started talking again and gave her an excuse to break away. She didn't want to feel the tears forming right now. She didn't ever want that.

"Well then I suppose I had best leave to you," Mulligan virtually muttered, sounding slightly despondent. "You're more than showing me today that all these supernatural things are best kept away from an old duffer like me. I'll get to work keeping the evacuation going. Just in case you guys _fail _to come up with something in time..."

And with that, the old man actually backed away, leaving the group to it, clearly having had enough of the talk. Shayera was slightly suspicious of the way he had said those last words, but she didn't even have a chance to think about why before things were being moved along by John.

"So how _do_ we go about helping our boys and girl up there? I don't know about the rest of you but I don't have a clue where to start with this thing. My ring's not exactly built to be psychic."

"Yeah, we could sure do with a telepath about now," Green Arrow agreed. "Shame ours is all tied up and the minute..."

"Well we're going to have to think of something," was all Superman could say in response. "Start liaising with Mr. Terrific and everyone else you think could help. I'll be there to help you out in a minute. There's just something else I have to do first."

"Just so long as you're not trying to run away on us," Green Arrow commented jokingly, though he then did move to get straight to work. GL went to go with him straight away, though once again his and Shayera's eyes met for a moment beforehand. This time Shayera forced herself to break away by immediately chasing off after Green Arrow, despite not knowing where exactly he was moving to.

Despite all that though, considering John Stewart would quickly be following too, she didn't know how useful she would be in coming up with a plan to stop this thing and save the missing people.

Her mind was rather distracted.

* * *

><p>"You did great up there, you know."<p>

"I thought I'm meant to be the one with the superhearing?"

Pretty much the minute that the other three heroes had moved away, Lois had stepped out from nowhere, moving immediately to Superman's side. Of course, he had known that she was coming, and it was actually this that he was delaying helping the rest of the League for.

"Hey, can't blame a girl for keeping up with a good story, can you?" Lois quipped in response, before turning more serious. "Is it true what you said? Are they all still alive? Snapper, Perry, Jimmy? _Bruce_?"

"Lois, I meant every word," Superman answered, hopefully reassuringly.

"Then don't let me keep you, tough guy," Lois remarked, virtually as an order. "You get back on the job of saving them, just like you always do. Oh, and Superman. One quick question before you do that the reporter in me just can't let go. When people hear of a giant combined Batman and Wonder Woman symbol forming in the skies, they're going to start asking questions. Probably also going to be jumping to all manner of wild conclusions. Just so I know what to say to them, _is _there anything between those two? And before you play dumb with me, you know in what way I mean."

Despite all that was going on, despite the dangers they all still faced, upon hearing that Superman found himself having to fight off a laugh. Those two were his closest friends in the world, and yes they had a close friendship with each other, but they were just so _different_. The idea of them, in _that _way, just seemed so off to Superman that he found it funny.

"Between Batman and Wonder Woman? No, there's nothing there beyond the platonic. You can tell all your readers that."

"Will do," Lois said with a smile, pretty much giving him a wink too. "Now get back to work. Stop talking to reporters about idle gossip when you could be saving the day."

Superman smiled himself at that, before turning away to head off after Green Arrow and the other two. Lois was right, there was still a lot of work to do, a lot of work he had to get on with fast.

But as he went, his mind couldn't help but wander back to Lois' question. What was more, the more he thought about it, the more the possibility that such a notion wasn't laughable occurred to him. It was a thought that he would quickly shake off when he properly got back to the task at hand.

However, right then it had certainly left him wandering about where Batman and Wonder Woman were right now. In more ways than one...


	14. Chapter 13: Memory Lane

**Chapter 13: Memory Lane**

_**A/N:**_

_**Right, bear with me, I haven't completely forgotten what's been going on, nor is this a randomly inserted flashback. And I haven't completely lost my marbles either, I know exactly where I left 'em. This **_**will****_ make sense being here come Chapter's end. Trust me. Please?_**

* * *

><p><em>I had felt both the cheekbone and the nose cracking beneath my fist as I slammed it down against the brute's face. The guy was tall, significantly taller than me, despite me not being short myself. I had had to leap into the air to get the right purchase with my fist, but I had done it, dodging the mighty sledgehammer that the brute had swung my way at the exact same time.<em>

_But the punch hadn't been the true objective of my attack. It had been the distraction, the means of making sure that even if this guy had managed to block what he saw as my move then the real assault could get through. It just so happened that _both _had gotten through._

_The guy had been so tough, and likely had been pumped with enough drugs that he had hardly even felt the damage that I had just done to his face. He had begun trying to swing the weighty hammer back my way barely the second after I had landed again just to the side of him. It was easy for me to roll away beneath that swing though, particularly as I had been both expecting it and planning the manoeuvre regardless. As I had nimbly jolted back up to my feet and turned back to face the enforcer at the same time, I had seen that I was now a couple of metres away from the guy, just as I had planned to be._

_And it was then that I had flipped the switch._

_I watched as the enforcers face suddenly changed from pure rage to utter shock. He had desperately scrambled to reach for something on his back, even throwing the hammer down to go at it with both hands, but it had already been too late. The pad I had attached to his back had already been sending enough current through him that there had been no stopping the imminent unconsciousness. And the pad was on a low, standard human setting. It could have gone up much higher if it had been a meta that I had been dealing with. _

_The thug's entire body had soon been convulsing. Seconds later, he had hit the ground. Hard._

"_New toy?"_

_The voice had spoken from the shadows, but of course I hadn't been surprised to hear it. My training meant I had known when he had arrived, even if I hadn't directly spotted him at the time. And besides all of that, I had invited him there in the first place. It had been a part of what I intended to do, what I needed to do, a key step on the latest aspect of my endless mission._

"_Relatively," I had growled in reply as I had spun to face Nightwing, my former protégée, stepping out from the shadows behind me. "Recent events made me realise it could come in handy."_

_I hadn't been in that warehouse by accident. I had planned this, planned it from the moment I had learned of this place the night before while interrogating a lowlife dealer I had intercepted on the streets of the Narrows. He had been trying to sell some very dangerous drugs to some kids who shouldn't have even been out that late, especially in that part of the city. The criminals and mobsters were determined not to give up their hold over my city, despite all that I had already done to drive them away. They just kept trying to worm their way back in, or find some way to hold ground. They were a cancer, a cancer that kept spreading some place else every time one tumour was removed. But I was the surgeon determined to get rid of it all._

_That warehouse had been exactly one of those situations. It had been a drugs den, operated by the Russian Mafia. It had been the place in Gotham where the drugs where shipped to, before being sent out onto the streets with all manner of goons or easily manipulated crack heads looking for a pay day to get their next fix. _

_And the Mafia had been determined not to lose it to me as they had their previous effort to bring narcotics into my city. They had brought in some extra help, someone they had thought might have been able to bring me down, someone that I hadn't already proved myself against. I hadn't known the guys name then, but soon afterwards I learned it to be Diniyar Ryzhkov. The guy was quite well known in the underworld back in Russia, or at least his legend was. He had been a mob enforcer and assassin for years. He was the type of man his enemies feared, if they ever had the chance to know he existed. He had been big, bulky, bald, the type of guy who thought himself to be so tough that he walked around shirtless at all times as if to flaunt his strength. He had also been very eager for a shot at bringing down the legendary Batman when the Mafia had tried to dispatch him to Gotham._

_And he had been that man that I had just been knocked out cold with the shock pad that I had gotten on his back. He had proved to be nothing I couldn't handle, especially when you considered all the people just like him – or even stronger – that I had dealt with over the years. Of course, he hadn't been the only one there either, but all other enforcers or workers not smart enough to run had been taken down even earlier than Ryzhkov. I had shut the drugs den down, and taken another step on the endless road to healing Gotham._

_It had then been time for something all the more personal._

"_You sure that you actually want to do this?" Nightwing had asked at that point, sounding dubious. "I mean, I'm glad you _are _doing it, but its just so... _unlike you_. Don't let me be the cause, I just thought I'd better check that you haven't changed your mind about this. You haven't have you?"_

"_No," I had very simply responded to that, typically gruff. "This has to happen. I need to go, and I need someone I can trust to help Jim watch over Gotham. That someone has to be you."_

"_And Tim and Barbara?" Nightwing had asked, though he certainly sounded proud of what I had just told him. Especially as I had meant every word._

"_They can help, but they haven't your experience, or your training," I had answered truthfully. "I need someone who can watch over _them _as well as the city while I'm away."_

"_Sure thing, Batman," Nightwing had replied, this time with a smile to show his pride. As he had spoken, sounds had emerged in the distance. They were the sounds of sirens. The police were on their way, on their way to formally arrest the Mafia scum that I had just brought down, to see that they would meet proper justice. Nightwing had looked up at the sound of them, both out the windows to see the distant blue lights blaring and to look across at all the fallen mobsters. "So is there anything else I should..."_

_But Nightwing's last question had trailed off then. He had been halfway through his sentence when he had turned back to face me, only to find that I had gone, disappeared into the shadows in that brief moment when his eyes had been off of me. Not only that, I had already been on my way secretly out of the building. However, before I went I had heard Nightwing's parting words._

"_Good luck out there, Bruce."_

_And with that I had waited no longer._

_I had a plane to catch._

_I had spent three months away, but as my private plane had touched down I was certainly glad to be back in Gotham. It meant that I could return to the mission that so defined me. Despite trusting Nightwing, I knew that Gotham still needed me. _

_And it meant that I was getting ever nearer to the day that all I had been doing during those months had been for._

* * *

><p><em>I had travelled far. As far as the world knew, I had been on a business trip to Japan, trying to sell the latest Wayne Enterprises gadgets to the prosperous Asian market, only to then disappear on a month long soiree as only a billionaire playboy could. The truth had been quite different, however. Ever since the moment when my resolve had been set on this goal, I had known that it was something that I would have to do. There had been weeks when I had been training myself in the Cave in between patrols and my daytime facade, but I had always known that to truly accomplish what I desired I had to get away from it all. I had known that I would need to have some time away from the darkness of Batman to truly master this latest aspect of training. In turn, that had meant that I had known I would have to spend time away from Gotham. Far away. Its call was too strong otherwise. And so there had only been one place where I had desired to go.<em>

_Yoru Sensei had been more than happy to take me in once again. His dojo had offered me a place to get out of my head and all the paranoid thoughts that always fester there, allowing me to lose myself in training. Months of that allowed me to change my mindset in a way, to partly alter how I think. Not entirely of course, no where near, but subtly, and enough. And with Yoru Sensei watching over me, a man who had proven more than once before the depth of his knowledge, Japan had certainly been the right place for me to train._

_But I had definitely been glad when it was time to return home again. Gotham would always be where I belonged. And being there, being Batman again, also meant I would also be closer to a certain other person..._

_Of course, Alfred had been at the airport, ready and waiting for me when I landed, but I had also known that when he inevitably asked the question I would only be telling him that there would still be a way to go. At that point I still hadn't been ready yet. I had trained my mind to ready myself for the day, but I still had to make sure that it would apply in the real world. I had to make sure that everything was right._

_Even if it took time, I had been determined that everything would be perfect when the time came._

* * *

><p>"<em>It's been a while since I've seen you at one of these parties, Bruce."<em>

"_I've been back a couple of months now Ronnie. I can't help it if our trips abroad wound up back-to-back."_

_It was true. I had been back a while, and it had just so happened that for all that time Veronica Vreeland had been away travelling again. That meant that I had been spared from one member of Gotham's social elite I so often had to mingle with to maintain to idea that was Bruce Wayne. That night's party, however, had been different. It was the one at the Gotham Observatory, the charity bash that the Wayne Foundation had held there to once again pry money for the needy out of the richest of Gothamites. Of course Vreeland had been there now that she was back. She couldn't resist a party._

"_Still... I've heard from some of the rest of the crowd. They say that even when you've shown up they've not seen you with anyone at one of these shindigs for a while. You're slipping up, Bruce."_

"_Now, Ronnie. You've been in the game long enough to know that one should never listen to rumours," I had said with an enforced wink, continuing to live up to the persona I had forged._

"_Oh, so those nights haven't been lonely after all then? Or is it that you've actually got someone special that you're just keeping from us? Ooh, now _that'd _be a juicy rumour! Come on, Brucie. What's the lucky lady's name?"_

_I had flashed her that trademarked playboy grin then, but I kept my true feelings hidden. I couldn't let her know just how close to the truth that was, and how much that had affected me. "Not a chance, Ronnie, not a chance. How would the rest of Gotham's women population react if that was true? I couldn't have all _that_ on my conscience."_

_And with that, to make sure my words had the maximum effect, I walked away from her, still hiding how I was truly feeling, how much she had made me wish my exiled training could be done. But I had still needed time. Not much, only a matter of days, but everything _had _to be right._

_To try and ease my mind, I had wandered away across the Observatory. And it had been then that I had first learned about the energy cloud._

* * *

><p><em>Alfred had given me until the following evening before he had once again decided to chastise me for my ongoing delay, as only he could. Thankfully he had at least allowed me some time to get to work first. I had spent most of that day down in the Batcave, actually. Feigning an extreme case of after effects from the raucous party, I had not bothered to go into the office that day, instead using the time for a far more worthwhile pursuit. I had been spending my time investigating the energy cloud I had learned of at the Observatory, knowing that my evening would be instead spent ensuring that Two-Face's latest scheme would not see the light of day.<em>

_I had long since established a covert connection to the Watchtower with the Batcomputer, ready for any eventuality. For a long time I had used that connection to keep tabs on the League when I wasn't actively with them, both to make sure that they weren't becoming dangerous and to make sure they didn't – inevitably – need me to help them once again. And I had long since used that link to keep a watchful eye over one of them in particular..._

_But I hadn't used it for that for a long time. It had always been hard, but I had to resist. I had to learn to cope with the risks, to trust that she would be safe without me. To accept that. _

_It had been _very _hard._

_It was even harder when for the first time in a long time I had been forced to re-activate that connection. I had needed access to the Watchtower's computers, to the database it had of alien knowledge and phenomenons. I had needed to learn everything I could about this energy cloud, and to start thinking up a plan to stop it should the need arise. But I had thought I had days to achieve that, not hours. It still wasn't much, it still meant it was high priority. It had still meant that dealing with the cloud was something I had to do before the day I had awaited could come, but I hadn't given it all the focus I should have done._

_Otherwise we wouldn't be in our current mess._

"_I hope you'll not be tied up in that _all _night, Sir," Alfred had spoken from behind me as I had sat at the computer, studying data J'onn had stored in there years ago without a seconds thought. "The preparations are nearing their completion for your other _other _activity. Though I must stress again that from everything I have seen of Her Highness you needn't be going through all of the bother."_

"_I've made her wait this long, Alfred," I had responded without looking away from the data. Thanks to my training, speaking of her didn't mean she so completely overrode my thoughts as she used to. But she still had a very firm hold. She always would. That was why I was putting myself through all I had been doing these last months. "I owe it to her to do things right. She deserves that much after all I've put her through – all I _will _put her through."_

"_Master Bruce, you always were one to overcomplicate these _social_ matters..." Alfred had said with a sigh at that. "I know you're trying, Sir, and I commend you for that. Lord knows I've been trying to get it out of you for years. Its about time you finally listened to me."_

"_Who said it was _you _that I listened to?" I had returned with a mock comment. Alfred, of course, hadn't taken offence. In fact, he just twisted it to help further his own point._

"_Heavens, of course such a notion is ridiculous. Forgive me. It is obviously _her _that you finally listened to. The Princess must be an extremely angelic creature to have finally melted your heart, Sir. The kind of creature who shouldn't be left waiting for too long. She'll hardly need a lavish display to know how you feel. Just get back up there and tell her."_

"_Alfred, I know what you're saying, and I understand your point," I had answered, finally looking away from the screen, unable to even pretend to focus on it any more. "From the looks of this thing, I'm probably going to end up seeing her very soon, but things will be kept professional until everything is ready. If I'm letting her in properly, I can't do it as Batman, or as Bruce Wayne. I can't do it while we're both working. I _have _to do it right. This has to work, it has to _last_. It just has to Alfred. I love her. I really do."_

"_I know you do, Sir," Alfred said again, though this time he actually sounded proud. "Though whatever you did to deserve Princess Diana I shall never know..."_

_With that Alfred had walked away, heading back up into the Manor proper. In turn, I had returned back to the computer and my research on the cloud, knowing that in only a couple of hours I would be heading off to foil the Penguin's goon and then the energy mass itself._

_However, my mind still hadn't been fully focused. The thought of how little time I had left to research hadn't helped. It meant that I was closer to seeing her again, but also closer to having to act like doing so wasn't the one thing I now wanted most in the world. But things had to be done right. Once they were, she would understand. After all, she had said it before, on _that _night, that precious night in the cave, that she loved me, Bat and all. _

_Alfred's parting words had also rang in my mind. He hadn't been serious of course, saying them with a note of sarcasm as a final attempt to change my mind. Nevertheless, they resonated, and though I didn't say it aloud, a reply had very definitely formed on my tongue._

"_I don't know either. I'm just glad that I have her."_

_And I was, even if my self-enforced exile had meant that she and I had been forced apart. The day that that could change was a day I yearned for. Because, despite all of my darkness, there was one light in my life that I couldn't bare to have a future without._

_Wonder Woman. Diana._

_The woman I love._

* * *

><p>Wonder Woman saw it all, and it made her heart swell. If she wasn't so busy saving the world, she knew she would be dragging Bruce into the deepest, warmest, most loving of embraces right now. Her own paranoia about Bruce's desires had been false. She saw that now.<p>

He truly did love her. He truly was coming back to her.

And she had seen Bruce's thoughts to prove it.

All of those memories and more had rushed into Wonder Woman's head within less than a second. Immediately she had known exactly what they were, having no doubts at all about the truth of them. It was as if her mind and Batman's were becoming one, like them both being connected to the core of the energy cloud was causing a merging of their mental signatures into a single mind. And, despite it all, that was a big problem.

Knowing what Bruce was thinking had relieved her worry, had even perhaps made her day, but this was too much. No wonder Bruce had warned her not to join him in the core. It was bringing about such intense pain and desire that Wonder Woman knew that she and Bruce had to extract themselves from the cloud's core, and fast.

Just as soon as the cloud had moved away from Metropolis. Wonder Woman continued to focus on what she was doing, casting the pain aside. Those people still needed to be saved. They still had to complete what they had come here to do. But once that was done, she also knew that they couldn't delay. Once the people of Metropolis were safe, anything other than a rapid exit from the core could have serious consequences. The pain in her head, the same pain Batman was feeling, made that very clear. But the distraction of Bruce's guarded memories was still very hard to fight off.

And the distractions were about to get worse. Bruce's memories relating to his latest exile may have been the ones that had hit the forefront of Diana's mind first, but there were others, a whole lifetimes worth. And so many of them were not ones to be relived. They were the sort of memories that gave Wonder Woman an even deeper, clearer understanding of everything about Batman than she had ever had, the kind of memories that made her want to break down in sorrow for all that Bruce had had to go through in his life. They were memories that were incredibly hard to shrug off, no matter who you were.

At long last the moment came when she could tell the cloud was leaving Metropolis, when Superman and the others had clearly got the message that Batman and Wonder Woman were jointly sending him. At long last the moment came when she could stop the pain, when she and Bruce could pull out of the core, when they could stop their minds from becoming one.

But right up until that moment, and even after, Diana could see it in her mind's eye. She knew that all of those painful memories would be burned in her mind until the end of her days, but one in particular stood out as bad. One memory in particular had hold of her mind, meaning that Diana couldn't feel even a seconds worth of joy that they had saved Metropolis.

It was the memory that would haunt her the most, the memory that would forever haunt Bruce. It was the memory that could even make her forget about the revelation, the confirmation of Bruce's love for her.

The memory of _that _night all those years ago...

* * *

><p><em>The man had stepped out from the shadows. My parents and I had been too happy to notice him at first, too lost in the adventure of the film we had just watched and the joys of being together in our perfect family. As soon as I had spotted the gun gleaming in his hand, I had halted, my joy dissipated. I had gotten scared of what this man was going to do. I was only eight years old after all, and a long way from being Batman. But I had had my parents to protect me.<em>

"_We'll start with the pretty pearls around the lady's neck. Now." Those were the words the man had growled at us, the harrowing words._

_As if to symbolise his demands, the rough looking man had his gun pointed right at my mother's chest, aiming for her heart, just beneath the pearls he desired to take. But I had been so sure that Dad would handle it, that even if we had to give this man what he wanted, we would be all right. I had been so sure that nothing could break my family apart, that my parents were indestructible, omnipotent._

_Dad had stepped forward at that. I could tell even as a kid what he had been doing. He hadn't liked the fact that this would-be thief had a gun pointed at his wife, and could easily do likewise towards his son too. Dad had simply been trying to put himself between us and the gunman, had simply been trying to protect us. And then, once he had us both shielded from the man's aim, I knew that he would have done what it would take to keep the man happy, to get us all out of there in one piece. Dad was a very good man, far better than I could ever be._

_But the gunman hadn't known him, hadn't known what Dad was doing. Even if he later realised it, he hadn't known in the one second that truly mattered. He had panicked, a terrified instinct when he thought that Dad was about to attack him._

_He had pulled the trigger._

_That was the loudest bang that I had ever heard, and it was also the longest second of my life. It was the moment, the exact instant when my childhood ended. Everything had gone in slow motion from that point. I had been too young to instantly accept the truth. I had held on to hope that the guy had missed, that Dad was fine and would fend the man off. I had believed he would save us._

_But then his corpse had fallen. His face was completely lifeless._

_And barely a second afterwards, before full comprehension or grief had hit me, it had happened again. At what she had just seen, Mom couldn't hold back an anguished cry, a cry of such intense sorrow, a cry of great volume. It was a cry that had every chance of being heard away from the alley way we had believed would prove simply a short cut. It was a cry which could have attracted outside attention._

_That meant the gunman had panicked again. With another bang, Mom was collapsing too._

_I could hardly move. I couldn't even scream myself. I couldn't even wipe off the blood that had splashed across my face as the bullets had struck. This time I did understand what I was seeing. Both of my parents were dead._

_I didn't care what happened next then. I had believed that my world was already over, and I had fully expected to hear a third bang from the gun at any second. But it never came._

_The gunman was no killer, not really, not intentionally. He was just another victim of Gotham City, a man brought to such desperation he had turned to a life of crime. He had stolen from people before, he had hurt them before to get what he needed, but he had never killed anyone until my parents. Realising what it was that he had just done had been too much for him. The gunman had ran, leaving me standing there, completely alone._

_And I would stay that way for a long time, until the Policeman summoned when people reported hearing gunshots could finally drag me away. But really, they never managed it. Really I never left that alley. Really, Bruce Wayne as he had been had died there with my parents._

_Every time I close my eyes I still see their cold, lifeless bodies. And I will to the end of my days. People talk about moving on, about time being a great healer, but there is no moving on from that night. There is no healing. There is only the pain. There is only the grief. There is only the anger._

_I _have _to make this world a better place. I have to bring about justice. I have to make sure that no one else ever has to suffer, as they suffered, as _I _suffered. No matter what it costs me, I have to do whatever it takes to make things better._

_For them._

* * *

><p>He didn't just exit the core once it was clear Superman and the rest were letting the cloud back away in one piece, he was pretty much <em>flung <em>from it. He had known from the moment that she had entered it too that they both had to get out of there. He didn't blame her for coming in after him, in fact he was relieved that she had. Loathe as he was to admit it, but it had become clear to him that he wouldn't have succeeded alone. He needed her strength in there with him to broadcast the message, to get the signal out to Superman that it was safe to allow the cloud to back off on its own, that there were people still alive within it. And they had done that. They had saved those people for now. _Together_.

And they had gotten out of there before it was too late, before their minds were irreparably blended. It was a side effect of what was essentially a telepathic being, particularly the core where mental signatures were brought together to provide control. Batman had known that that was a possibility. In fact, that was why he had told Wonder Woman not to follow him into the core. From the moment she had joined him in there he had felt the pain, the unbearable urge to get out of there, but he had had to resist it until the citizens absorbed by the cloud were safe.

Because of that, there had been no stopping the beginning of the merger of their minds. No manner of mental prowess or discipline would change that, despite Batman's efforts. More than not wanting to invade the privacy of Diana's inner most thoughts and memories, he didn't want to subject her to his. He didn't want to force her to experience his time in hell.

But the sharing of memories had happened. The link was now broken, but memories couldn't be so easily forgotten. Batman had been hit by them, by memories of countless years of life in paradise and of her time of the Justice League, of her time with _him_. He was hit by the memories of recent weeks and months, recent _hours_. He was hit by the guilt of his decision to wait until later to truly give Diana the reunion she clearly wanted by seeing how upset that had made her. However, he was also sure that he was right in his decision there, that they needed a proper reunion between them more than just across the teleporter room, or on the battlefield. As he had thought, he was far more guilty about what _his_ memories had just put _her_ through.

Knowing that the Imperium would be far too busy with their new "batteries" and hence they had a safe window of time, Batman looked across at Wonder Woman. She too had stumbled backwards out of the cloud's core, so that now both of them were a good few metres away from the still glowing core. However, they were also still right next to each other. Wonder Woman had clutched his hand when she had joined him in the core, and she was still clutching it now, despite the act of being thrown out of the core. In fact, she was clutching it tightly, almost as if she was scared to let go. Batman quickly looked at her face. He knew that she would now have no doubts about his feelings, even if he hadn't literally expressed them. He knew that she would have no doubts that he still meant everything he had said back in the Batcave eight months ago. But he also knew that there would be no smiles. Indeed, she wasn't even looking at him. Instead, her eyes were focused purely off into the distance, gazing at nothing in particular, a haunted look etched across all of her face.

"Diana," Batman breathed her name, trying to rouse her from it. He knew that they had time before they would be having to act again, knew that they would be safe to take some of it, and knew that they had to take that time. He knew that because of his memories Wonder Woman would have just practically _lived _all of the worst days of his life.

He knew that she was strong, remarkably strong. She would be able to cope with that, to fight on more than many would be able to. The problem was that she was also so incredibly compassionate. If it had been just her involved then Batman knew that Wonder Woman would have been able to make the enforced grief wait until the fighting was done, or even twist it to encourage her to fight even more. Of course it would still hurt her, but it could have waited. But with it being _his _memories, with her compassion particularly strong where he was concerned, things were different. Hell, if roles were reversed then Batman knew that even he, cold as he could be, would struggle to cope if Diana had had such hellish times in her life. Thankfully for both of them, a life in paradise had spared her from such times.

"Diana," Batman said again, more forcefully this time after she had continued to just stare into the distance the first time. This time it did work. This time she did hear him, slowing turning to face him. There were tears formed in the corners of her eyes.

"Oh, Bruce..." she breathed. "How...? How did you go on?"

"Because I had to," Batman replied honestly. "Diana, please. Let it go. I can't. I never can. But you have to. You _have _to."

"Bruce, how can I?" she quickly countered. "I'd heard the stories. Since I figured out who you were, I've heard so much about what happened. I never talked to you about them because I knew that their loss had already made you suffer far more than enough. I knew that their death hurt you deeply, that it drove you towards the darkness. But now... Bruce, _now _I understand you better than ever before. Now I really know why you find it so hard to let anyone else in. I'm... I'm sorry I pushed you so hard."

"Diana, stop," Batman quickly countered her, actually throwing back the cowl as he did so. He couldn't let her talk like that. It was he who was the broken one. He would not let seeing moments of his life break her too. She was far too good for that. "I don't regret _anything _that you did. If anything, I only regret that I wasn't more responsive, that you didn't push me harder. Diana, you saw the last few months too. You know how I feel. You know how I've _always _felt. Don't you go changing because of me. The world needs your light, Princess. _I _need your light. _I _need _you_. And you know how hard it is for me to say something like that to anyone, so you know that I mean it. Now, please. Let it go."

"Bruce, I... " she began to argue again, but this time Batman was having none of it. Convincing her with words wasn't working. She was as stubborn as he was, more so some times. But there were times when actions spoke louder than words. This would be one of them, his action stopping her mid-sentence before she could truly get going.

He kissed her. A long, deep kiss. A kiss that he had been waiting for for eight bloody long months...

When the kiss finally ended, when he finally pulled away, Wonder Woman's eyes stayed closed for a few seconds. When she finally opened them, Batman decided to push his position home.

"Princess, please, _don't_ feel sorry for me. Don't _ever_ feel sorry for me. I do enough of that for myself. If you really want to do something to help the pain, just be you. That's all I need. That's all I'll ever need now. That's what the world needs, and it's going to keep needing if it's ever going to truly get better."

"You mean it don't you?" Wonder Woman returned, though the sorrow that had overwhelmed her voice just seconds ago was leaving it. In fact, a faint smile had actually formed at her lips. She even let out a very small laugh, though one clearly out of relieved happiness. "Hera, Bruce, when did you develop a soft side like this?"

"I told you I needed your light, Princess. It's what you do to me. Perhaps its what your memories have done to me," Bruce replied, a rare smile of his own forming. "But it's for your eyes only. One hint of this to _anyone_, even Superman – _especially _Superman – and I _will_ have to take you down."

"You could try," Diana countered, still smiling herself. And with that, without warning, she flung herself at him, arms wide, dragging Batman into a tight embrace, though thankfully she held her incredible strength at bay. Batman could practically feel the relief, the love pouring out of her as she grasped him. He couldn't resist putting his own arms around her in return, though he was slightly slow on the uptake. The Imperium could go on waiting to be dealt with. The two of them needed this moment, and not just for their own sakes.

"I'm sorry I put you through all that, Princess. _A__ll _of it," he spoke into her hair, not letting her go.

"Bruce, it's not your fault." Wonder Woman had pushed herself from his chest as she had spoken so that she could look him in the eye. She didn't have to push back far, being so very nearly as tall as he was. "You _did_ tell me not to follow you into that core..."

"No, I didn't mean that," Bruce quickly cut her off. "My memories are my burden to bear, and no matter what they should stay that way, but it was a good thing that you followed me in there. Without you everyone in this cloud would be dead, properly dead. You did the right thing, as usual. And yes, I am sorry that you had to feel my pain, but I was talking about something else. I was talking about what I've been putting you through."

"What you've been putting me through?" Wonder Woman repeated, sounding confused.

"In the past weeks," Batman explained. "Don't forget I've just seen your memories as much as you saw mine, Princess. I saw how my exile was affecting you, how my return has been affecting you. I know that you're too proud to admit it, especially now that you've seen how I feel, but I know. And I'm sorry for that."

Diana smiled again, playfully slapping him on that shoulder. "Bruce, there's no need to apologise there! I knew you needed time, I was prepared to wait. I might have missed you but so did everyone. I wanted you back, yes, but I could cope, because I knew that one day you'd come back. I _knew_. As for these past hours, think nothing off it. Count it as another effect you've had on me. I'm developing a bit of your paranoia! _That's _all you need to apologise for!"

Batman could see that she was still smiling, like now she knew the truth all of that meant nothing to her. Normally that wouldn't stop him feeling the guilt. Guilt was something that he had felt for a long time, something he felt often, whenever someone got hurt that he could have somehow helped, no matter how realistically. But with her smiling at him, even Batman couldn't hold off some light-heartedness, especially when doing so was in a typically stubborn manner. As if to further that, he even pulled the cowl back over his head.

"I believe I just did, Princess."

She slapped his shoulder playfully again at that, her smile not fading. She continued playing the game that had just begun. "You arrogant man! How on Earth did you of all men ever manage to enter the heart of a proud Amazon warrior?"

"Simple," he grinned. "I'm Batman."

If anything, Wonder Woman's smile broadened, but the joking was over. "And so much more. You're Bruce. And that's all _I'll _ever need. All I'll _ever _want. But Alfred was right you know. I didn't... I still don't need the 'perfect' reunion. I love that you so want everything to be right, I love that you so clearly care, but all I need is you. It's not exactly like I've got – or ever will have – a different 'first date' for you to live up to."

"Sorry, Princess, but the plan's going ahead. Like it or not, no matter what gets in the way, I _will _do this right. I'm not going to let this wind up like my other attempted relationships. Now that you've managed to get yourself in, as soon as we've saved the world again - _if _we can - I'm going to do it right. And I'm not ever going to let you go. Of course, now that you've seen everything I had in mind, I'm going to have to change the plan. You've ruined the surprise."

Wonder Woman grinned again. "Sorry. Had you really managed to get a–?"

"Yes," Bruce quickly answered before she had even finished the question. "I _had_."

"You old softy," Wonder Woman responded, though her grin had gotten a lot more..._alluring_.

"We really should be getting back to work. This fight is not over," Bruce said at the sight of it, though he was unable to move away. Those eyes staring so closely at him... They suddenly had such..._warmth _to them. He tried to force his mind off of them, back to the task at hand. If the situation had been more urgent he would have succeeded. _If_.

"You know that I'm not one to shy away from a fight, but is there really anything we can do yet?" Wonder Woman asked in all seriousness. Batman indeed knew that she was always ready for a battle, that nothing would make her shirk away from her duty, from saving people's lives. But he could also tell what she was thinking. As much as he tried to resist it, he couldn't deny that a part of him was thinking the same thing.

"Until we have a report from J'onn and Flash, I don't think so," Batman answered honestly. "I could only figure out so much from what I found in the Watchtower's database. We can be sure that the Imperium aren't done, that this thing is not over, and I can make guesses about what and how they'll strike next. However, if we can't get proper control of the cloud with the core, then we need to know more about how this thing works before we can truly fight it. For that, we need the knowledge that the Martian's in here will have gained over hundreds of years here, perhaps their abilities too. So before we can do anything, we need to regroup with J'onn and Flash to find out what they know."

"And do you know how to find them?" Diana pressed on, though Batman could see in her eyes that she already knew the answer.

"With the way the environment can change in here, without some form of telepathy it could be impossible to track down anyone," Batman told her again. "It's not like tracking down the core. There won't be a giant glowing pillar of light to show us the way. I can keep _thinking _for J'onn to come get us and hope he picks it up, but that's all without risking us being put well out of action."

"So in short, until either J'onn, the other Martians or the Imperium come to _us_, there's not really anything we can do?" Diana summarised, still looking at him deeply.

"No," he simply answered. "With no guide, there's not. No matter what the Imperium are up to right now, the two of us have no choice. We can plan as much as we can based on what we know, but all we can really do is be patient and wait."

"You know I've never really been one for patience."

It had been all the cue that Wonder Woman had needed. She didn't say anything else, she just acted. If she had followed her purely warrior instincts then she would have dived out into the realms of the cloud after the Imperium, and Batman would have had to stop her. But that wasn't the instinct that she followed, not this time, not after all they'd been through in the last few minutes. This time she was the instigator, but Batman very definitely didn't fight her.

It had been a _very _long eight months...

Despite what he had said, Bruce knew that this was the moment that he and Diana were finally truly reunited after his exile. It was a moment that he didn't want to end, a moment that could make even his brilliant and focused mind temporarily forget about all the dangers that were facing them and so many millions of lives right now. Even the Batman – perhaps _especially _the Batman – was, after all, human.

Illuminated by the bright light emanating from the cloud's core, Batman and Wonder Woman kissed again.

A kiss of deep, long built-up passions. A kiss of pure, true love, shining bright in a time of such potential darkness.

Batman knew that the moment of joy wouldn't last. He had long since learnt that they never did. He knew that when it ended they would both have to be ready for action once again. This thing was _not _over. There was still a fight to be had, a world to be saved, an evil to be defeated. There was still a great darkness to be defeated, and his own darkness to rise again to help him to do that.

But that didn't mean that he wouldn't be enjoying this moment that he and Diana had, for as long as it lasted. His eternal anger could for once wait until that moment was done. After all, this had hardly been an ordinary day.

Even for them.

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN:**_

_**Told you I hadn't forgotten all about what was going on. Just had to get this bit in there since its rather important to where both characters have been going over both stories so far, and I think its the kind of thing of fair few of you have been waiting for. And as for what it was that Bruce had been lining up for Diana, I'm leaving that one up to each of you to decide for yourselves. Make of it what you will.**_

_**Anyways, please review away friends! Can never have enough of them. Ta very much. Until next time...**_


	15. Chapter 14: The Bearers of Bad News

**Chapter 14: The Bearers of Bad News**

Snapper Carr was not usually the type to be lost for words, but right now that was certainly the case. One second he had been reporting on the Justice League's battle with the energy cloud in the skies over Metropolis. Then there had been that flash of light as the helicopter had been plummeting towards a fiery doom. And now he was here.

Wherever _here _was.

For a second he thought that maybe he was dead, that this was some form of afterlife. All that he could see around him was light. He was sat in a chair, but other than that he could see nothing but the shine. He felt almost as if he was in some kind of waiting room, and all manner of thoughts started crossing his mind. He thought that he was waiting to meet his maker, or perhaps that he was about to be judged to see if his life had been a good, worthy one. He began to think that maybe all of those religious tales he had cast off as a young man could prove to be true after all.

But then the chains had appeared. They had sprung from nowhere, wrapping themselves around his arms and legs, binding him down to that chair before he could even think of standing. They were tight too. No chance could he fight his way out of them once they had latched on, even if he had anywhere to escape to.

It was in the next second that he knew instantly this was no religious afterlife. Following the chains, a kind of dark portal had sprang up within the white. In no time at all a pair of figures he very definitely recognised stepped through it. The brightness of the place began to fade as they moved from the portal. By the time the two Imperium soldier's were stood right before him, it was as if the entire world had changed. Now Snapper could tell where he was. Whatever this place actually was, however these guys managed to change the environment around them, it was clear that he was their prisoner.

For a long time they didn't say a word, and Snapper was too scared to try to force them to. Snapper had paid plenty of attention the last time these alien creatures had attacked the world, had listened in to as much about them as the Justice League had made public. He knew that the ones from last time had had telepathic abilities. He was starting to think that these new ones would soon be in his head, scurrying around in then making no end of a mess of things. If they didn't just kill him outright, that was.

"Tell us what has happened."

Snapper was so startled as one of the Imperium suddenly spoke in a deep growl that if he hadn't been tied down he'd have leapt out of his skin. As it was, the voice had him so afraid that he couldn't speak until the alien forcefully repeated its words.

"Tell us what has happened to the Imperium! This was to be the next world claimed after Mars. Where are they? We must return to them!"

Now Snapper understood impeccably. These aliens were lost. Somehow, whatever had happened to them to cause all of this madness, they were just trying to find a way home, a way back to their people. They had expected to find the rest of their kind on Earth. They had expected to be lost no longer, but they had found only things that were alien to them. They hadn't found what they were looking for.

And Snapper knew why. It was because the Justice League had defeated the Imperium. Their leader was dead, as were many of its horde, lost to the burning light of the sun. Those that had survived had fled to who knows where, deep into the universe. They were long gone, and they weren't going to be coming back. These aliens were alone, and they would be staying that way.

But how could Snapper tell them that? How could he possibly tell the aliens who were attacking the Earth that what they wanted most they couldn't possibly have? Their aptitude for violence was well proven. If he told them that, then what was to stop them from simply killing him in outrage? What was to stop them from killing everyone?

"Tell us what happened!" the alien screamed again, its gelatinous head forming into a demonic snarl as it had roared out the words. And as if that wasn't enough, the silent one had reacted too this time. It's equivalent of a hand had surged forwards, latching onto Snapper by the throat. It was only holding back the squeeze enough to give Snapper the air to talk. The message was clear. If he didn't talk, then he was definitely dead.

It wouldn't matter to them, Snapper realised. He wasn't the only one that had been swept up by that light. The pilot and the cameraman had been for sure, and Lane probably had been too, as far as Snapper knew. Hell, the whole damn city of Metropolis could have been caught up in it. From what Snapper had seen, the Justice League's efforts against that energy cloud hadn't exactly been working. That made him sure of one thing. His best chance, his _only _chance was to talk. At least then there was a slight possibility he could survive this. If he didn't he was _definitely_ dead.

"Th... They're not... here..." he stammered with every haggard breath he managed to draw through the grasp on his neck. And then he began to tell them everything.

And it was abundantly clear that the aliens did not like what they were hearing.

* * *

><p>J'onn may have been unable to reach out to anyone in the outside world from within the cloud, but he could read Batman and Wonder Woman from their position. A lot was happening between those two right now, dealing with the effects the core of the cloud had had on their minds, and J'onn would not intrude on that while this moment of relative peace was afforded to them. He knew that what the core so nearly did to them would take a several long moments to recover from, and so he was not about to interrupt them. However, that didn't stop him from subtly searching for a status update.<p>

And that was how he knew that the two heroes had succeeded. That was how he knew that Superman now understood there were people in here, _living _people. It was how J'onn knew that the cloud was leaving Metropolis.

For now, the people were safe. For now. But J'onn knew that there was no time for Flash and himself to celebrate that, to rest on their laurels. He knew that the Imperium would attack again soon. He had had enough experiences of the pure evil of these parasitic invaders. They would attack again, and the Justice League would need to be ready when that time came. They would need to come up with a new plan.

And as far as J'onn could tell, particularly with what he had just picked up from the minds of Batman and Wonder Woman, that would almost certainly involve having to convince the Martians to help them.

Easier said than done.

"Your friends, they have escaped the blend. They have achieved what you desired," M'vall spoke up again. Her and the other Martian's were all still there, still gathered around with J'onn and Flash as all who could had stopped to listen in on what was happening to see if the day could yet be saved. However, J'onn definitely did not fail to notice the tone M'vall had used when she broke the tense silence that had befallen them. It very much implied a sense of _'you don't need us after all'_, a sense that she would be determinedly refusing to budge on her stance of non-action.

"Would _somebody _care to tell me what the heck is going on?" Flash virtually pleaded. He sounded a blend of worried, anxious and confused. Of course he would be feeling those emotions. Unlike the rest of them, he would have no idea about what had happened across the cloud. Worse, he had insinuated before the silence that something terrible had befallen two of his closest friends and allies. Of course Wally would be desperate to know their fate, just as much as he needed to know what was going on with the bigger picture. J'onn knew full well that Wally West never forgot about his friends, no matter what else was happening.

"To cut a long story short, Batman and Wonder Woman managed to successfully access the cloud's control core and drive the cloud away from Metropolis," J'onn quickly stepped in to ease Flash's worries. He could immediately tell that Flash had more questions, that he wanted more details, but there just wasn't time for that. He stressed the next words to make sure Flash understood. He very much intended for M'vall to pick up on those words too. "It was a close call, but they both made it out safely. However, it was only a temporary measure. The Earth is not safe yet. The Imperium are _going_ to strike again. Our aim has notyetbeen achieved."

"So... What now? What do we do now?" was the question the Flash settled on asking, clearing biting others away. M'vall was noticeably quiet once J'onn had finished talking. Perhaps it was time for a new tack.

"Now we need to learn what exactly we're up against," J'onn told Flash. "Among all the other things we have to fight to stop this cloud is the unknown. We don't know enough about the Transcendence to be able to definitively say how to stop its creation."

"Right," Flash was quickly nodding, obviously having caught on to where J'onn was going with that. "If only we knew a bunch of guys who'd been living here for a while who could give us the full guided tour..."

"It was around a hundred years into the war, a hundred years or so after the Imperium had first invaded Mars," M'vall immediately leapt into things. She had got the point very quickly, and she sounded like she wanted to get it out of the way, like she had been expecting this. J'onn was not about to interrupt any time soon, though. He wanted to hear this. "Us, all of us, we were in a top secret underground bunker, a place where we were trying to find a way to fight back. We were scientists, not soldiers. But then the Imperium found us, and they attacked us. We had to stop them. We knew that there was no way out for us, so we decided to take them all with us. We set the facility to self destruct and kill all of us within it, but to get the timing right and ensure no Imperium had a chance to escape the multiple bomb setters had to be in telepathic contact. When the bombs blew... Well I guess, as the old rumours said, we all _stayed _in contact. As soon as some of the linked died, the cloud instantly formed. One second I felt the fires hit me, I felt the warmth of my death, the blistering of my body at its final end. The next I was here, in this place, feeling as healthy as could be. Except for the fact that my body was gone. Within seconds I saw the others in here with me, and we knew that the rumours were true. How it happened exactly is a mystery we have not tried to solve. There has never been time to. Only seconds after we had come to terms with what had happened, we had realised that we Martians were not alone in the cloud. It had managed to form so quickly that it had swallowed up the Imperium soldier's minds before their bodies were destroyed too.

"From that very first moment we hid. There were no doubts, no stragglers who disagreed with that course of action. Then this realm we are in was just emptiness, endless darkness with us in the middle. The Imperium saw us and began to attack, but luckily we had one advantage they did not. We knew the rumours of Transcendence. We knew the stories of what could be done if such an event actually happened. We knew that there was a possibility that in such a realm we could use our minds to shroud ourselves where the Imperium could not track us. And so we hid. And we have remained hidden ever since. Hundreds of years have passed, and the Imperium never found us.

"It wasn't as simple as that sounds however. Over time the Imperium began to realise that they too could control the cloud. In fact, with their numbers, they truly took control. We could not fight them. We could not resist. We could only use our telepathy to keep ourselves shrouded. For the first years the Imperium continued to try to track us, but thankfully we were always able to keep them at bay. Eventually they grew tired of the hunt. Eventually they began to miss their glorious lord and master. They began to miss their conquest. Simply living on in the cloud was no life for them. They couldn't accept that as we could. They soon began to feel that they now had the ultimate weapon at their fingertips, that they now had the means to truly defeat all Martian resistance to their invasion. But thankfully we had one thing to stop them from utilising the cloud against Mars. It was buried, buried deep. The underground bunker that it had been forged in was many miles underground, beneath tonne after tonne of rock. Even an energy cloud can't just fly through that, as the Imperium found to their detriment. The cloud's energy could have probably passed through with ease if that was all it was, but we surmise that the core must have some form of physical element to it, despite what it all seems, some trace of all of us who died to form it. It was that trace that held the cloud back and prevented the Imperium from escaping the deep tomb near instantly. They tried, though. And eventually they succeeded. It took a lot of effort, all of their concentration, but eventually the Imperium were able to use the energy of the cloud to steadily create fissures through the rock, to tear cracks in it all, to create a path to the surface and to freedom. But, even without us doing anything to stop them, it took them centuries. Many of them. It was only months ago that they managed to get the cloud to the surface of Mars again. Only to find that their people were gone. And so was ours.

"And then we all, the Imperium and we Martians both, detected you. _You_, J'onn J'onzz. We may have been far away, but we heard you, communicating telepathically across lightyears of space. You have to understand, the Imperium were lost when they found that their kind was gone, no longer on Mars. They need their leader, they need to be with others of their kind. Alone they're lost, without purpose. That scares them, and in turn that makes them even more dangerous. They need to find the others like them, to reunite with the other Imperium. They didn't know where to start to do that until they detected you. You J'onn J'onzz, the last living Martian, the last link between them and their kind. And you lived on the world they knew would have been their next target once Mars had truly fallen to them. They had to find you J'onn. They intended to take you, to torture you, to do whatever they had to do to get you to take them to the Imperium. Without even trying we overheard their plan to harm you. We didn't dare do anything to stop them, but we couldn't let the last Martian we knew to exist fall to them. That was why we tried to warn you.

"But it clearly turned out to be a fruitless attempt. You are here, and so are so many of the people of your new home, fallen to the _Imperium's _cloud. You're entire world shall not be far behind it. There will be no stopping them. The Imperium will not halt. They can't be reasoned with, they can't be–"

"Yeah, yeah, we've met them before," Flash was quick to interrupt M'vall's long running monologue as soon as she began to go off track, to fall back into the whims of her fears. J'onn was about to butt in himself, but he never should have expected to do so quicker than the world's fastest man. "Big scary bad guys, we know. Go on with the story. I want to hear the rest of it before you rant about how we're all doomed. I always get bored by that part."

"There isn't much more to tell," M'vall responded, giving Flash a dirty look but talking more regardless. "At least not a lot that we know of. All there is left to talk of is the fate that awaits the people of this world. Those that the cloud has already claimed will be in the Imperium's power now. There is no hope for them. They are lost. The Imperium will keep their consciousnesses at bay and use the raw power of their minds to make their control of the cloud even stronger. But before that, they will _talk _to them. They will find out everything their new prisoners know in an effort to track down the other Imperium, and then they will tear this world apart until either they have found their people, or there is nothing left. Your world's only hope is that the Imperium find what they are looking for before the Earth falls, as Mars did."

J'onn wasn't really surprised about a single word that he had just heard, but that didn't mean that he wasn't shocked to hear them spoken aloud. They weren't ones he wanted to hear. At all. They continued to describe the Martians' collective hopelessness about their fate. They continued to make it clear that the Martians wouldn't be about to help any time soon. And J'onn knew that the Justice League and the people of Earth would be needing that help, even if the cloud had backed away for now.

For there was one thing that M'vall had said that had truly resonated with him, one thing that he knew was absolutely true. The Imperium _would _be interrogating those that they had captured from the city down below, and J'onn knew from touching the minds of Batman and Wonder Woman that the Imperium had captured plenty of them. When the aliens would inevitably learn about what had transpired, about their leader's demise and their people's defeat, things were _not_ likely to end well.

"It doesn't have to be like that," he implored, not wanting to think about that any more than he would have to. Once again, he spoke directly to M'vall. He had to convince _her_, to convince them all. "You could help us. There's still time. You could help us stop all of this. _Please_..."

M'vall sighed, a sigh of almost exhaustion. "We have been through all of this already, J'onn J'onnz. We _cannot _interfere. We _cannot_."

"Then it is _you _who doom this world, not the Imperium," J'onn was quick to counter. He was having a fairly hard time keeping all of his emotions in check. For so long he had dreamt of meeting another Martian again in whatever form they may have taken, but this...

This was so _infuriating_. His people had never been warriors, but they had never been cowards either. They had fought when their world was so threatened, right to the bitter end. For M'vall and the others to refuse to share that spirit was an insult to their memory. Worse, it could very easily lead to the deaths of billions of other innocents. The billions who made up J'onn's adopted home. The billions, of which one individual was his wife.

"I know that you've all been through a lot, that you're all afraid, but we need your assistance to know how to put a stop to this," J'onn went on in his imploring tone. "We need your experience of the cloud, your knowledge of its inner workings, your knowledge of how _these _Imperium think, how they operate. We need you to help us to find a way to put an end to this madness. Against the vastness of the Imperium army, we'll need your numbers, your _strength_. Without you there is little hope. Myself and the residents of this world will fight on no matter what it costs us, but you and I both know that there is a very real chance that that will not be enough. _Please. _Live up to the good name of our people. Please don't turn your backs on who we were, who we _are_ as a race. Please help us to save lives, to save _peace_. Please. Otherwise you are no better than they are. You'll be killing us all just as much as any Imperium."

The instant J'onn had said those last two sentences, M'vall's face immediately fell, then became pure thunder, literally altering shape as if to display it all the more. Rage had clearly overcome her. Her next words made that even clearer as she stormed closer to him, finger jabbing out at his chest.

"We are _nothing _like them!" she howled at him, baring fangs she had just forged. "Don't you _ever _compare us to those monsters! _Ever_! You've had plenty of time to forget about the horrors they caused. You've had a chance to forge a new life. Don't forget we've seen your thoughts. We know that you might have lost one, but you've had the chance to forge a new family. You haven't had to spend half a millennium fearing for your life, for what they might do to you next! _We _have. So don't you dare compare us to them! Don't you dare!"

J'onn knew that it was a risk responding to that as he did, but it was a risk that he just had to take. "I dare. Because I must. You _must _help us. You _must _prove that you remained Martian beyond the Transen–"

"This talk is over!" the words exploded out of M'vall. "_This _is over! Do what you will, J'onn J'onzz. Leave us out of it. We will have nothing to do with you or your fight! We _won't_! Do not come after us. Do _not _involve us in your hell. _Leave us out of it!"_

J'onn opened his mouth, ready to argue. Beside him, he could tell that Flash was doing the same. Neither, though, had the chance to get the words out. In less time than a blink of an eye, M'vall suddenly became a mere wisp of fog before J'onn's eyes, and then even that was gone. Typically following her lead, the other Martians were soon gone too.

They had failed again. J'onn had failed to get through to his own people, and now the Earth could well fall because of it.

"Err... Are we boned _now_ big guy?" Flash muttered at the situation. Up until then, J'onn had been left motionless, shocked to stillness. Thankfully Flash was able to snap him out of it.

"We cannot stop fighting, my friend," J'onn answered, forcing all negative feelings that were swimming in him away. He couldn't listen to them. He couldn't give up like the others Martians had. He _couldn't _give up. "In fact, we will need to act fast."

"The bad guys are pissed at us, huh?" Flash commented in return.

J'onn immediately nodded. What Flash had said was an understatement. In fact, it was a massive understatement. With the Martians gone, J'onn dared to reach out to the Imperium, to feel what they were up to. It only took him seconds to confirm everything. The Imperium knew it all. They had learned it from Snapper Carr, and now they were really, _really _angry.

"So? What do we do?"

"Right now, there is only one thing we can do," J'onn replied to Flash's question. He knew this was true. He knew they had to do it, even if it would be interrupting a much needed moment between two very important people. He knew that not only did they need to regroup, they would need those two to help them make a plan to save _everyone_. "We need to get to the cloud's core. Without the aid of my peo... With _those_ Martians aid, we're going to need Batman and Wonder Woman more than ever. This is going to get pretty rough. This time, the Imperium will only want to deal in death. The people below thought the last attack was bad. The one coming will make it pale in comparison."

The negativity had tried to creep up on J'onn again as he had spoke, especially at the mention of M'vall and the rest. He managed to fight it off again, but he knew that it would just keep coming back. Thankfully, Flash was never one to give up. He _always _found a way to stay positive. He might not have had a wise crack at the ready this time, but what he did say was every bit as important.

"In that case, next stop Bats and Wondy central. I'll get us there in no time, just show me the way. And J'onn, once we're done, it'll be _the nasty aliens_ who won't know what's hit 'em."

* * *

><p><strong><em>AN:_**

**_There's the next bit for you folks. Enjoy it since I going to get quite distracted over the next few weeks. Small matter of the World Cup, which cannot ever be missed! Hence progress will be slow while its on. However, if you all hit me up with a plethora of reviews, I'll have to reward you by working extra to get the next chapter out earlier. It'll have to be a fair few mind, since I do rather like getting them. I look forward to hearing from you all!_**

**_In the meantime, kindly offer England plenty of support, no matter where you're from (yes, even if your from Scotland). We're going to need it._**


	16. Chapter 15: Networking

**Chapter 15: Networking**

She was well aware of all the commotion, was well aware that at that very moment the fate of the entire world once again rested on the people she knew and worked with every day. However, that didn't mean she was paying it any attention. It wasn't her job to watch the Justice League in action, no matter how desperate the situation. It was her job to make sure its member heroes got out the other side alive. That was why, even with all that was going on, Doctor Susan Conway focused purely on her patients.

The only thing was, there still wasn't much to do.

"How they doing, Doc?"

Conway turned to look behind her. She had been checking the readouts, looking hopefully for any signs of change, almost longingly. It was Mr. Terrific she saw stood in the doorway to the Medical Bay.

"Unfortunately, nothing new to report," she answered the League's co-coordinator, slightly turning back to her readouts as she did so, as if in hope that it might inspire a flicker of a positive response. It didn't. "They're all still showing all the signs of brain death. Have you learnt any more about the thing that caused this? Perhaps if we knew more we could try to counter whatever happened to them."

From her eye corners Conway could see as Mr. Terrific looked down at her patients. She didn't need to look at him to sense that he too was desperate for these four to wake up. Not only did the Justice League need their help, but they were also his friends. Mr. Terrific had far more encounters with them all than Conway ever had. These weren't the type of heroes to regularly need her help. Flash. J'onn. Wonder Woman. Batman. They were all usually far too good for that.

Conway looked down at them too, following Mr. Terrific's lead in a moment of silence. At the moment it was Batman's bed she was stood beside. She wasn't the type for favouritism, especially were her patients were concerned, but if it came right down to it Conway would have had to admit that Batman was the member of the Justice League who most fascinated her. He may have been one of the heroes who was human, and one of the few who were without powers, but he was still the one who was the biggest mystery. However, for Conway it was far simpler than that. Before taking up her post on the Watchtower, Susan Conway had been a Gothamite. She knew first-hand the hell that that city bred. She had seen it at its worst, years ago, before that signal had first lit up the skies. She, like all Gothamites, knew the true good that Batman did. The rest of the world might get caught up in his methods, might get caught up with the flashier, more fairytale heroes like Superman, but Conway knew that it was men like Batman who made the real difference to the people in the worst places around. _That _was why he fascinated her. Somehow, though, she had resisted the urge to try and find out exactly who it was under that mask.

And it was a particularly strong urge.

"Difficult to say," Mr. Terrific finally answered her, causing her to look up to him again. "It's... Unlike anything we've ever seen before. I–"

But Mr. Terrific trailed off at that. The comm went off, Mr. Terrific clearly having linked up the control hubs systems with the infirmary's before paying his visit. Conway saw him move over to switch it on, a sense of urgency about him again. Conway was ready to listen in, in case it was another patient about to come her way, though she definitely maintained a steady eye on those she already had.

"Mr. Terrific here. Go ahead."

"T., its Zatanna," a female voice rang out from the speakers. "I'm gonna keep this short for now because we're in a bit of a hurry. We've got some news. Good news too, we hope. Me and the other League Magician's think we have a plan. Dr. Fate's already dashed off to tell Superman and the rest of the team at ground zero. We're about to head over to join him, but I wanted to give you the heads up. Things could be about to happen."

"One minute, Zatanna."

Conway's expertise was always with the physically sick, but she didn't need to be a great reader of people to see the hope flood into Mr. Terrific at those words. However, before acting directly on that hope he momentarily muted comm and turned to back to Conway.

"You'll keep me informed if anything changes?" he asked her quickly.

"Of course," Conway nodded in response. "Do you think that whatever they're up to is likely to change things?"

Mr. Terrific shrugged. "When magic's involved you never know what can happen. I think we need to be ready for anything, even more than normal. But I've got to go. They might need me back in the control room for when things start to go down."

"Then get going," Conway responded, making it sound almost like an order despite having no authority over a healthy hero. Mr. Terrific turned to leave back to the control room, obviously transferring the call as he did so. However, before he disappeared, Conway couldn't resist shouting one last thing after him. "Go save the world. Go get them all back."

* * *

><p>A relative silence had befallen the group, save of course for the voice of Green Arrow acting as liaison. Currently he was relaying the situation up to Captain Atom and the other heroes still up in the skies above Metropolis, keeping a watchful eye over the energy cloud. He'd already finished off letting the heroes on the ground know what was happening, so that they too could try to come up with a solution while they continued to help the military with their evacuation efforts. The Watchtower and then the Magician's were next up on the list.<p>

But that still left the other three of them with nothing to do but think. They couldn't all be on the task of liaising. They badly needed a plan. All the people consumed and trapped up there in the cloud badly needed them to have a plan. However, the reigning silence and blank looks on each of their faces displayed how few ideas they were actually getting.

GL knew for sure that he was having no ideas. As he had said before, these psychic things were hardly his speciality. He was having enough problems sorting out his own mind, never mind figuring out a way to to save thousands of others from something he didn't even properly understand. He hadn't a clue where to even begin. He had more than enough proof already that his ring was fairly useless against the energy cloud, and no way could it ever pick out a _mind_. He needed physical things, tangible things. Not this. Not this madness. Not this confusion.

And not this proximity either. Even if he was capable of coming up with an idea, it was not about to happen right now. She was too distracting, especially with him trying _not _to think about her...

Shayera was clearly trying hard not to look at him too. It was his fault, GL knew that for sure. He had put them both in the same boat, a boat he knew needed to set sail quickly. But right now neither of them had the time to start it on its way, especially as John was sure it would more than a few seconds to pull off. For now they both needed to focus on the mission, to concentrate on the task at hand.

And to come up with some sort of plan.

"Let's recap everything we know about this cloud," Superman interrupted the silence, giving GL the strong impression he was falling back on an old journalistic technique to figure things out by talking them through. "Perhaps if we do we'll spot something that we've been missing up until now. There might be something really simple here that we're missing."

"Yeah, there is," Shayera rather sarcastically reacted to that, sounding rather annoyed. GL wondered, though, who exactly it was that she was annoyed with. "We're missing the fact that none of us have a clue what we're doing. Let's face it, we need help–"

"Then perhaps my arrival is very timely. Hopefully I can provide some."

GL knew that voice. It wasn't the first time that it had come from nowhere to help them save the day. But it turned out that the speaker wasn't alone. GL spun around to face the speaker, ready and hopeful. It was then that he saw the full array of Justice League magicians appearing out of nowhere, magically teleporting in. Every one of them, one after the other, though Dr. Fate was right at the fore. Just as GL had known, it was the most powerful of them who had spoken. GL did not say anything to interrupt him, and thankfully neither did any of the others. They all knew that the magicians had been trying to figure out their own way to effectively use their powers against this cloud. The fact that they had all shown up now, _before _Green Arrow had the chance to tell them the latest, must mean that they had come up with something. Dr. Fate's words certainly implied something along those lines.

"We have been investigating everything we can that might be slightly relevant to this energy phenomenon," Fate resumed as he and his magician cohorts came to a halt in front of the founding Justice Leaguers and Green Arrow, who had rather cast his comm aside to listen in on what was going on. "The latest revelation about the cloud has told us something which should help us change everything."

"You're referring to that Bat/Wondy-symbol that was in the sky, aren't you?" Green Arrow spoke up, giving up all pretence now that he was still on the comm. "Them not being actually dead and all that jazz."

"Exactly," the demon, Etrigan, snarled from the group of magic-based heroes, in his usual tone that belied his allegiance. "The whole world will have seen that mark appear, but only we can know its true significance."

"What Etrigan is attempting to say is that in knowing that Batman and Wonder Woman are somehow still alive and a part of that energy being, we have been able to devise a strategy to save them and all others who have been taken with them," Dr. Fate stepped in to clarify things. "And not only that, but it could hopefully also serve to significantly weaken the cloud itself too."

"How?" Superman was quick to ask. Not only that, he practically _pleaded_. It was no secret that he viewed Batman and Wonder Woman as pretty much his closest friends in the entire world. Add into that the people of his city, the people he knew so well from his every day, common life who were at risk too, and this was doubtlessly a very tense situation for him. "What can we do against a thing like this? How can we actually stop it?"

"By taking from it what it has taken from us," Dr. Fate launched into the explanation. "We remove some of the energies that feed it, that give it its strength. You have clearly reached at least some of the same conclusions that we have. Batman, Wonder Woman, _everyone _who fell under the cloud's power. Their essences are clearly not as gone as their physical forms would currently indicate. We are convinced that somehow their mental energies, their thought patterns and memories have been absorbedby this energy being, become a part of it. Those energies could heighten the cloud's power further. By removing them, _all _of them who have been taken this day, we should make the cloud weaker. And once that is done, once we have learned what effect that such an action will truly have, we can then progress the plan further to deal with this life form before it has a chance to take anyone else."

"But how?" Shayera pressed. "We're not all a part of your magic circle here. Drop it down in simple, layman's terms. What are you planning to do? How do we rescue our people?"

Doctor Fate surprisingly turned to face GL as he gave his answer. "By using a spell that you have actually witnessed, John Stewart. It is simply a case of switching minds."

"Switching with what? I don't get it," Green Arrow was quick to state, but GL now knew what Fate was getting at. He had indeed witnessed Fate use a spell that caused exactly that before, albeit accidentally, when Flash and Lex Luthor had had their minds wind up in each others bodies. If Fate could perform such an act now deliberately...

"We do not need to directly swap them with anything, but use a variant of the same magics that can cause such an event," Fate began, delving into the same thoughts that had begun to swim into GL's head. "In the case of switching minds, you need a place to put the consciousness so that it is not lost forever, hence why it always involves a transfer both ways. The mind is too powerful to easily be ripped away from a body without anywhere else to go, which makes what this cloud has been able to do all the more remarkable. However, we have the advantage that the vast majority of its victims still live. Their bodies may litter the streets, they may be brain dead, but as vessels they remain intact. That means that we have a place to put the minds if and when we remove them from the innards of this energy being. It means we have the ability to take the minds out of that being and return them to where they belong. It means that we should have a chance to bring them all back."

"Then what are we waiting for?" Superman declared, half-joyously, half-impatiently. "Let's get on and do it!"

"I suspect that's because there's a 'but' coming..." Green Arrow muttered under his breath from behind the Man of Steel, looking rather suspiciously at Dr. Fate as he said the words. Truth be told, GL was feeling that same suspicion. The more he thought about it, the more that Dr. Fate's plan seemed just _too _easy...

"There is one snag, yes," Dr. Fate confirmed for them, causing Superman's shoulders to slightly drop, though the big Kryptonian managed to hide any other signs of doubt and worry he was surely feeling. "There is one major problem we have in achieving the plan. We are not telepaths. All of us who can perform this spell – and it shall take us all to move such a vast quantity of minds so quickly – do not possess the ability to connect to them up there in the cloud, and without some form of connection we cannot isolate one mind from another. We cannot tell who is who. We cannot even locate a mind to ensure we keep it intact. If we were to go in blind as we are now, the chances of any of the minds we extract from that cloud returning to their own body intact are virtually nil. Even if the person survived the act, their mind almost certainly would not. We could remove their energies from the cloud, but we would not have the person back."

"So what do we do?" Superman continued to push for an answer, sounding more desperate with every word. "You must have some ideas or you wouldn't have bothered telling us all of this."

"There is only one option," Etrigan stepped in again in his growling drone. "One which I suspect you will not like."

"We need to make a connection to the people in the cloud," Fate explained. "We need an anchor, someone who we have magically linked ourselves to, to act as our eyes and ears, our guide within that place. My friends, we need someone to voluntarily enter the cloud, so that we can get everyone else out."

"Woah, now hold on a minute!" Green Arrow interrupted, sounding concerned. "All of this is based on guess work at best. What if whoever does this gets hit by that thing and everything we've said here is wrong? This could be worse than a suicide mission, it could just be suicide! And even if we are right and they will wind up somehow alive inside that thing, what's to say however you've linked yourself to them will still hold? What's to say any of this will actually work? I mean, how often do things ever _actually_ go according to plan?"

"Unfortunately those are questions we cannot accurately and adequately answer," Dr. Fate responded to the outburst. GL shared Arrow's sentiments. He knew there was plenty of risks in this plan, even more than normal given the extent of the unknown surrounding all of this. But he also knew that under the circumstances they would be risks that would need to be taken. "We have sufficient belief that we are right, but we cannot prove any accuracy in this matter without knowing more. The problem is that there is not likely to be time to learn more. If we are right and the mental energies the cloud has taken from this city can empower it further, it is not likely to hold ground in the skies for long. Either it will leave this planet or it will attempt to take more minds, and either way we have then lost. We have to act now. We have to take a leap of faith, for the sake of thousands, if not millions of lives. I'm sorry to put this upon you, my friends, but it I cannot volunteer to take the risk myself. My abilities shall be needed here, but I can assure you that whoever does take the risk will not be abandoned. We shall do everything in our power to protect you."

"We all knew the risks involved when we made it our business to be heroes," Superman reacted, almost immediately after Fate had finished. Looking across at him, GL could tell that the Man of Steel had been itching to volunteer from the moment that Fate had delivered his plan. It was just so in his character, especially with his friends at stake. GL was not about to argue with that. No matter how much he wanted his alien friend to stay safe, he knew that this was a risk that one of them needed to take. Clearly Superman felt that that one needed to be him. After all, with all of his powers he was bound to be the one of them most likely to survive this anyway. "Everyday we live with the thought that the line of duty could cause it to be our last. We won't shy away from this now. If this is what must be done, then –"

"I'll do it."

But it wasn't Superman who said those last words. It wasn't Superman who had actually just done the volunteering. GL had to do a double take to make sure he had heard right. It couldn't be... This mission needed to be undertaken, yes, but not by her... By anyone_ but_ her...

But it _was_ her. It was Shayera who had just volunteered.

"Don't argue Superman," she sternly continued as it turned out that GL wasn't the only one who was now looking at the Thanagarian in shock. "You know it makes sense. It can't be you. We've already proved that you can at least do _something _against that cloud if everything goes wrong. They still need you out here. There's nothing I can do to help here that someone else can't do. And we can't ask anyone to do something that we Founder's aren't prepared to do ourselves. I have to do this."

"No! I won't allow it!"

GL had shouted out the words before he had even realised it, but he would have shouted them anyway. He _couldn't _allow this. He couldn't let her do this. He didn't need to look around to see that Shayera had actually managed to convince Superman that she was right, but he was certainly far from convinced. His heart and mind might have been fighting that war about Shayera and their possible future together, but he didn't need to fight a war to know that he didn't want her to risk her life like this.

"You don't have any say in this John!" Shayera snapped back at him, anger clearly flowing through her, her finger jabbing at his chest as she leant towards him. "You might have done once but you're making it exquisitely clear that you don't want to have one again. Face it, this needs to be done, and I'm the one who's doing it. If you can't cope with that, I suggest you go and help out Captain Atom and the others and leave us to do what we have to. Now, Fate, get your spell cast so I can get into that cloud ASAP. Let's go get our people home."

"But..." GL spluttered, but there was nothing more that he could say. He knew that there was no argument that could win Shayera over, and looking at the faces of the others it was clear that they weren't about to step in either. For a moment he heavily contemplated saying he would go into that cloud with her, that he would share the risk. However, he knew that Fate wouldn't have it, that he wouldn't cast the spell on two when he would only need one, and so Superman and the others would keep GL away from the cloud. No, he would have to do everything he could from out here, everything he could to protect her.

Shayera was already walking away with Dr. Fate and his magicians, ready to become the anchor that they would need. GL watched them go, standing where he was, still open-mouthed in shock, the other two men still flanking him. They had hope now, no matter how slim. They had a plan.

The damn thing had just better work.

* * *

><p>The evacuation efforts were still well under way. That hellish energy cloud may have gone back, it may now have been holding ground up there harmlessly miles into the skies, but that didn't mean they could stop their work. That thing could so easily attack again at any moment, and nothing the Justice League had tried yet had been able to adequately halt one of its advances. If... No, <em>when <em>it struck again, the military had to be sure that they got these people clear. Bullets were hardly likely to stop that thing.

General Felix Mulligan had seen more than his fair share of action over the years, had fought alongside and through these events which just a matter of years ago would have been considered make believe and fairytale, and he had always come out on the other side. He had always done everything he could to ensure that as many of the people that he was responsible for made it out with him as possible. He was determined that this time would be no different.

Superman and his Justice League pals were having their conflab not too far away. Mulligan had ventured away from the talks to resume his own duties, leaving the hero plays to the heroes. He had told them that he was going to return to the act of running the evacuation. That had been true, to a degree.

For that wasn't all that he was doing. With those heroes safely distracted with the task of saving the city, he had got on with his own plan to achieve that goal. Superman and the others were noble, perhaps too noble. They had already found one way that they knew would stop this thing, but they had refused to take it because of how it could threaten more lives. However, a lifetime in the army fighting dictators and evil had shown Mulligan that there comes a time when there is no good option, that sometimes decisions have to cause a bad thing for the greater good. As far as he was concerned, this was one of those times. The Justice League might be able to find some way to stop this, they might even be able to somehow resurrect those the cloud had already claimed as victims, but as far as Mulligan could see nothing that they would do would end this threat for good. Their exploits to date were proof enough; their enemies kept coming back, because they so rarely did what was necessary to end them for good.

However, Mulligan _was _prepared. He had made the bad choices before. He could do so again. He _had _done so again.

Only seconds after dispatching his immediate subordinate from the tent where he was running the show, Mulligan's personal radio beeped, a radio linked up directly to the nearest airbase. He had been in contact with officers there just minutes ago, immediately after he had left Superman and his other heroes to their task.

"Mulligan," he spoke into it as he activated the device, looking across to ensure Superman and his super-hearing were busy focusing on other things. He knew they wouldn't like this plan and would try to stop it, even if it was being done for the right reasons. _If they knew about it_. Luckily the coast was indeed clear. "Tell me it's good news."

"It is, Sir," the voice carried out of the device, faintly since Mulligan had made sure on the last call that the volume of the talks would be kept to a minimum. "We found the fermonic gases we needed. The engineers are integrating it now, along with those defences you wanted. It should be ready to go in a matter of hours."

"Copy that," Mulligan returned. "Let me know when its ready to fire. I'll keep things going here until then, try to get the city clear to minimise any civilian risks associated with this. I'll try to buy you all the time you need too. The Justice League are up to something. Hopefully they can help us hold this thing off until we can end it once and for all, since they're not strong enough to end it themselves.

"We have to destroy that cloud, son. Completely destroy it, before it gets us all. Everyone who _is _alive inside it will just have to go down as casualties of war. This thing has to die, even if it kills some of our boys and girls with it."

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN:**_

_**Evenin' all. After a couple of weeks of one hell of a world cup it hits a rest day, just in time for me to get this to you. Hope it was worth the wait for you! And I ought to be able to get back to about the weekly timetable from here on in, provided nowt else comes up. If all keeps going to plan this is roughly the half way stage of the story, so you've plenty more to review for me (including what's already up here if you haven't commented on it all already). Don't let me down now.**_

_**Anyways, coming up next we go back to see what the folks inside the cloud are up to again, including a certain pair...**_


	17. Chapter 16: Lovers and Fighters

**Chapter 16: Lovers and Fighters**

Flash was running again. Once again he had J'onn draped over him, and once again they were on a rather literal race against time. A new attack was coming, a bad one. J'onn had made that much perfectly clear to him. This cloud thing wasn't done. One attack on the Earth wasn't enough for it, especially after learning all about the last time any kind of Imperium guys had come to visit. Boy, it sounded like they were pissed. Boy, did Flash have to get him and J'onn to the other two fast.

"We still heading the right way, big guy?" Flash called out to the Martian on his shoulders. He still found it hard to believe that their usual Martian pal was the only one actually on their side, that they had failed to convince any of the others to help them out too. He still found it hard to believe that what he had been told was a grand, noble race had acted so cowardly when so many were needing their help. Then again, he still found it hard to believe _any _of what had been going on in the last few hours. It was _all_ madness. "Can't exactly pick my way around a landscape that can change so easy. Ain't no sign of our two just yet!"

"There will be things to see soon," J'onn returned instantly. "We are still on the right path. I can sense Batman and Wonder Woman are ever nearer to us. Just a minute or two more and we should be able to see the cloud's core."

"Good job, because I want to get this thing over with!" Flash hollered back. "I don't know about you, J'onn, but I'm getting a bit fed up with having my head _this _high up in the clouds!"

"Fear not, Wally," J'onn calmly responded, albeit not sounding like he had that much confidence in his own words. "We will get through this."

"Yeah," Flash simply muttered at the sound of that, and was tempted to try and run even faster. Only his fears about the consequences of going _too _fast again held him back, ever so slightly stronger than his fears of what could happen if they didn't get a plan sorted in time. Based on everything J'onn had said before this latest leg of the run had begun, Flash knew that the best hope of a quick plan was the ever ready Batman, but he would need to know what was happening. They had to reach him fast. Flash might joke a lot about the man who hardly ever smiled and seemed to spend his entire life brooding in the shadows, but he definitely respected Batman. He still knew that Batman's mind was one of the best weapons the Justice League had, if not _the _best. With people like himself, J'onn and Diana on hand to add some muscle and speed to those plans, it was a formidable combination that had proved effective against all kinds of foes.

And boy did they need that combination right now.

He had to get them to Bats and Wonder Woman fast. _Very _fast.

But none of that wouldn't prepare him for the sight that he saw when they got there.

* * *

><p>The world may have been in terrible danger, they may have been in an unbelievable situation, but that didn't mean that Wonder Woman was not feeling incredibly, blissfully happy in that moment. What had happened in the core of the cloud had changed everything. It had sent her feelings haywire, enough so to mean that that was a moment where her warrior spirit did not so forcefully win through.<p>

And it wasn't just the good things either. She had seen it all, all of Batman's life of pain, suffering and loneliness. All of his guilt, all of his grief. It had almost overwhelmed her. No matter how much one can hear about such things, nothing compares to actually having lived it. When his memories had filled her mind, it had been practically like they were her memories too. It had been practically like it had been _her _parents that night...

And that only served to give her even more respect for the man behind the Dark Knight. It showed her just how strong Bruce truly was, just how _human _he truly was. She knew if roles were reversed, if she had been a child of Gotham instead of Paradise, then she would not have been able to resist seeking revenge, seeking blood. Yet Bruce had. Not only that, but he had also managed to retain a real humanity, no matter how shrouded it was in the Bat. He had proved that once again in his determined effort to stop his memories sending her into a nosedive of anger and despair. He had proved it when he had made sure that his memories didn't make Wonder Woman lose who she was.

No wonder she had fallen for him.

They were still embraced, still locked in each others arms, still lost in a deep, passionate kiss. It was one that Wonder Woman did not want to end, despite knowing all to well that very, very soon she and Bruce would be needed to try and save the world again. She didn't need to be in his head again to be able to tell that Bruce was thinking the same things. But they had earned this moment. After all that had happened, they needed this moment. And after so many years in the making, they were both going to savour the moment.

"Definitely worth waiting for," Batman commented when their lips eventually parted, though their faces stayed close, both of them still in each other's arms. His cowl was on, his lenses in place, but there was still that smile on his face that was so rare from the visage of the Batman.

"Just don't go making a habit of waiting for it," Wonder Woman returned with a smile of her own. She still found it hard to believe that a man could make her feel like this, but there could definitely be no doubting it now. "I waited for you once. I think I'd have to punish you if you make me wait like that again."

Batman smirked a little more like that, feeling through their proximity like he was about to pull her in tighter again. Wonder Woman was going to let him, was going to allow another long moment of tenderness to fall between the two of them.

At least, that was, until they heard someone close by very audibly clearing their throat. They were not alone any more.

Flash and J'onn were standing there, not too far away, lit up well in the light of the glowing core they still stood near. Both males were looking fixedly at them. Wonder Woman could feel Batman quickly let her go at the sight of them there. She was actually amazed that he hadn't noticed the two arriving either given what she had seen of him so many times before.

Diana herself kept her face neutral, giving nothing away, as Batman clenched his jaw and crossed his arms before his chest. It seemed silly, but a part of Wonder Woman had the oddest desire to be screaming her love for Batman to anyone who would listen. However, the rational part still won out, the part that said that she and Bruce had to figure this _all _out fully before anyone else, even their other friends, could know. Unfortunately, it seemed that the number they had to tell had just shrunk again. Now the cat was out of the bag for another of their fellow heroes.

"Erm... Wow. Have I completely missed something or did we just come in at one hell of an awkward time?" Flash muttered, gesturing away behind him with his thumb as if asking if he and J'onn should leave.

"What is it?" Batman snarled in his deep, no nonsense voice. It was the voice he used whenever he wanted someone to drop it. It was a voice that was very definitely used to shut Flash up and move things along. While Wonder Woman usually had to problem with a lot of Wally's quirks, she had to admit that this time it was for the best that Batman had turned that glare on the Speedster. She could actually see Flash somewhat wilt under it.

"We have even bigger problems than we originally thought," J'onn answered when it was clear Flash was too busy trying to hide away from that glare. His voice didn't sound like there was going to be an upside to what he had to say. Not only that, but Wonder Woman couldn't help but notice how all of the other Martians that J'onn and Wally had gone to meet were conspicuous by their absence.

"How bad?" Batman beat her to voicing the worries. Typically he kept his sentence short and to the point.

"For one, our new Martian friend's aren't actually all that friendly," Flash responded, though Batman's glare fell on him again. This time Wonder Woman felt that was a tad harsh. Wally had only been trying to help this time, after all. However, the Flash was still silenced by Batman's glare. Clearly Bruce didn't want to hear anything from the kid for a while after that early quip.

"We found the members of my race who Transcended to form the cloud," J'onn expanded when Wally fell silent. That part in itself should have been enough to make J'onn sound happy. Wonder Woman knew all too well the ache of feeling alone. She had lived it throughout her time exiled from Themyscira, which had lasted but a mere fraction the time J'onn had lived as the last Martian. To be reunited with more of his kind, even only in this purely mental form, should have been incredibly joyous for him. Instead, it sounding almost anything but. "They were... not what we expected. Not what we hoped. My people were brave and noble once. Peaceful, yes, but not cowardly when we had no choice but to fight. Centuries of living in fear have dredged that out of them. They were scientists who thought they were dying to help save our kind when the Imperium invaded our planet. They thought they had met their end, and had prepared for that. Then, it turned out it wasn't the end, and the cloud was formed, the Imperium soldiers they had died to destroy being dragged along with them. They were trapped in a place that they didn't fully understand, surrounded by scores of their deadliest enemies. They found their best way was to hide, and they have become so very used to hiding. That means they are still afraid to act now. They are afraid of the fury the Imperium could unleash upon them if they make their presence more public. Any attempt to help us, any attempt to use their telepathic powers to help us seize control of the cloud wouldbring them to the Imperium's attention. _That, _they are too afraid of."

"Good job you guys didn't actually need us to convince them that last time..." Flash muttered, mainly under his breath. However, this time Wonder Woman spoke up before Batman could unleash the glare once more.

"From the way you've raced in to bring all of this up, I take it that we might soon be wishing we had that help?" she mused. "J'onn, what else has happened? What don't we know?"

J'onn actually sighed before answering. "While with the other Martians I could sense what you and Batman did to drive the cloud away from the city. However, I could also sense other minds within the cloud, including other human minds. I do not know how much you two know, but the cloud has descended upon the Earth. Many citizens have been taken, absorbed into the energy, as we were."

"We know," Batman growled as J'onn paused for a moment. "We saw them pass through. The Imperium took them before we could do anything to stop them."

"Indeed," J'onn confirmed that what he knew matched what they did. "The Imperium do have them. They have them trapped and locked away, somehow..."_plugging in_" their captive's minds to act as an extra energy source and further boost their power and control over the cloud. It is now far stronger than before, far more dangerous to the people of the Earth. But that isn't all either. The Imperium did not immediately plug _all_ captives in as an energy source. Unfortunately, they interrogated one of them first."

"They know about what happened the last time the Imperium came to Earth," Wonder Woman breathed in realisation. She didn't need J'onn's confirming nod to know that it was true. She also didn't need to hear the rest of J'onn's explanations to know how bad the repercussions of this could be.

"They do," J'onn said while he was nodding. "They have learned everything about it. They were lost, desperately seeking a way back to the leader they so adored in the hope of unleashing their new found powers with the cloud to his whim, of being home again. What they learned took all those hopes away from them in one instant. That devastated them, and there is now only one thing on their minds. Revenge against the planet which saw the downfall of their leader. As soon as all their new captives are providing them increased energy they will attack again, this time simply to destroy. If we are to save all who have been taken by this cloud, the people of the Earth and ourselves, we have to stop them. The problem is, without my people's aid in trying to wrest control of the cloud away from them, I do not know how."

"Can't what you two did last time work again?" Flash asked, suddenly genuinely confused as to why there was an issue there.

"Too difficult, too dangerous," Batman very simply answered without going into the details of what that core tried to do to any pair who entered it, and it had already been made clear that one mind was not enough in there. Instead, Batman pressed for more information, sounding remarkably calm given the severity of the situation and its complete lack of time. "You learned more than you've told us. Tell me about the cloud itself. If it's as old as you suggest, what took it so long to get here?"

Wonder Woman was still without patience. She still wanted to leap into action, wanted to go and tackle the problem head on. She wanted to go and find the Imperium and _show _them how bad it would be for them if they were to attack. However, she also knew full well the value of Batman's meticulous mind. She knew just how effective the plans he could come up with could be. And she could tell that his magnificent mind was working on a new one right now.

J'onn launched into his explanation. He told them everything he knew, from the clouds formation, to its turmoil under the surface of Mars, to the discovery of how things worked inside it, to the Imperium's struggles to make the cloud escape its burial, to how that was hard due to the small part of it that actually had a physical substance holding it back, to its subsequent detection of–

"We drown it," Batman cut J'onn off midstream.

The other three, Wonder Woman included, were caught a little off guard by the suddenness of that statement. They all looked at him with startled eyes. Diana, however, was not slow on the uptake. Her own mind was working now that Batman had given her the prompt she needed. She was starting to see where this plan was going. There were still some things he would have to explain to her, but she already liked where this was going. She knew that the others would too, once they caught up with her.

"Say what?" Flash blurted out, before remembering the glares that Batman was giving him at the minute and getting much more to the point. "You're going to have to explain that one in a little more depth to me, Bats. What you thinking?"

J'onn, though, was starting to understand. "The cloud; it struggles to pass through matter. It can do so, but it needs time. But how do we make this happen? We have no control..."

"Guys? Didn't you hear me?" Flash piped up again when his question went unanswered. This time Batman finally began to properly voice his plan.

"What we need most is time, time to properly understand how to get the people out of here safely and ensure that the cloud won't be doing any more damage any time soon. Burying the cloud as happened on Mars isn't an option, not with there being no facility buried deep under Metropolis that we can readily implode. But we _are_ right on the waterfront. It won't be nearly as effective as solid matter, but if the cloud can be weighed down and held back by material than sinking it to the bottom of the ocean should slow it down, and certainly prevent it from attacking the city for the time being, allowing us to get a better plan. No doubt with their numbers the Imperium will be able to lift the cloud again, but it'll take them time, time we can use to our advantage."

"We cage the energy beneath the sea," Wonder Woman summarised, nodding in concurrence. Batman was right; this plan wasn't the be all and end all. There would still be work to do. But if the cloud was about to try and wipe out hundreds of thousands of lives, keeping it as far from them as possible was certainly a wise idea.

"OK, that makes sense. Kinda," Flash mused now that he knew more. "Aquaman's sure going to be pissed at us for putting his seas in the line of fire, mind."

"He'll have to deal with it," Batman quickly cut such trains of thought off with a no nonsense growl, leaving things open for Wonder Woman to ask the question that was truly plaguing her about this plan. They _couldn't_ use that core again. Everything about being in there last time had been screaming at her that it wasn't a place any of them should be, no matter how brave and self-sacrificing they were.

"But how do we make that happen?" she voiced her thoughts. "How do we make the cloud sink into the ocean when the Imperium have full control over it. If the Martians' aren't willing to help us–"

"We convince them," Batman interrupted again. Wonder Woman was slightly annoyed by that, her old sense of regal propriety shining through for a moment. The dire nature of the situation helped shed such feelings from her, though.

"Believe me, we tried to," J'onn chipped in again, sounding resigned. Wonder Woman could almost literally feel the disappointment in his voice. "They are too afraid. They will not help us."

"They will if we show them they don't have to be afraid any more," Batman returned. "Fear can only be defeated two ways. Facing it or by seeing that you never had a reason to be afraid in the first place. Since the Martian's won't willingly face the Imperium, we show them that they have nothing to be scared of."

"And how do we do _that_?" It was Wonder Woman who voiced the question, though in truth it could have been any of them. They were all clearly thinking it.

"I learned a long time ago that the best way to defeat those who thrive on other's fears is to give _them _something to be afraid of," Batman simplistically answered.

Despite him not being done yet, Wonder Woman now knew _exactly _what he was planning. It wasn't the type of action she would normally be part of, the type of action that perfectly showed the different strategies of her and Bruce, the dark and the light. It wasn't the type of thing she would normally do, not the type of thing she would normally view as helping to spread the Themysciran ideals of peace. However, this was a very special case. This time, she knew that Batman's way was the _only _way.

Without pausing, even at the obvious look of realisation on her face, Batman continued on with his plan. "We know that its possible to manipulate this realm with only the power of thought. The Imperium have already tried to use that against us. Its time we used it against them. If there's as many of them as you say, a full frontal assault would be unwise. But if they want revenge, they'll want _us_ dead more than Metropolis. We draw the Imperium to us, and then we turn the cloud itself on them. We make them see things that will have them petrified. And then we fight them when they're at their most afraid, and make sure they're even more afraid of us. We make _them _fearful, and we make sure the Martians see it. We make sure the Martian's see they don't have to hide in fear anymore. _Then _we can convince them to help us."

"Great. How do you scare a blob of living jello again?" Flash mused sarcastically, sounding not entirely convinced. Batman didn't glare at him this time, but his reaction was just as intimidating, and perhaps even more frightful. He smiled. Wickedly.

"I have some ideas."

"This could work," J'onn mused, largely drowning out Flash's gulp at the look on Batman's face. It wasn't one to be messed with. "Words will not work on M'vall and the others. Perhaps actions will. If we are to do this, I shall ensure that she and the others know of it. I shall telepathically connect with them again, so that they _cannot _ignore it."

"Is that safe J'onn?" Diana asked him in concern for her friend, despite knowing they all had to take risks with what was at stake. "We all saw what being that connected to them last time did to you."

"I will be in control this time," J'onn answered. "I will be able to keep things in check. This can work, but we must do it now."

"Agreed," Batman concurred. "First we need to move away from the core. We can't allow the Imperium a reference point to differentiate between what we're making them see and what they are actually seeing. Come on."

Batman did not wait for the others to react before he began stalking away, not even looking at Wonder Woman despite what they had been through just before Flash and J'onn had arrived. She let him go, taking a second before following to offer Wally a reassuring glance and gently rest a hand on J'onn's shoulder. They would all need to be ready for this fight, not afraid, not worried, not distracted.

But she didn't hang around herself any longer than that. There just wasn't the time. There was a world to save. A fight to be had. And the warrior in her was itching for the fight.

Besides, the quicker the world was saved, the quicker she and Bruce could go back and sort out any and all of the remaining issues between them.

* * *

><p>Flash didn't live up to his trademark speed in chasing after Batman as he began to stalk away to put his plan into action. He didn't even move off quick when Wonder Woman gave chase. In fact, he even stopped J'onn from moving after them, staying rooted to where they had been stood.<p>

What had just happened was still running through his mind, and by that he didn't mean all the hell that was breaking loose, or their new plan to stop it. Yes they were important, and no Wally wasn't foolish enough to cast them aside. He cared. He cared deeply, and he would do everything in his considerable power to stop the end of the world from coming this day. He would be ready to fight, to play his part in making Batman's plan become reality, in convincing the Martians that the bad guys weren't quite as scary as they thought – especially next to Bats.

However, none of that meant that Flash could just forget about that _other _thing he had just seen, not when it had been two of his closest pals. And not when it had been so surprising for him to see it.

"Hey, J'onn," he began to say softly once Wonder Woman was several paces away and not so likely to overhear. "What was happening here when we showed up... Bats and Wondy's duel of the tongues. Was that...Was it some not-so-nasty side effect of this place or was it..._for real_?"

J'onn actually smiled down at Flash at that, a truly genuine smile. In that moment – briefly – it was almost like Flash had helped J'onn forget all his troubles, forget all about the deadly threat to the world and the madness with his not-quite-so-dead people. This time J'onn lay a reassuring hand on Wally's shoulder, that smile broad, his eyes even glowing a bit more than normal.

"You mean you never saw the signs before?"

That was all J'onn said, cryptically, before he two began to skulk off after Batman. Flash was left even more rooted to the spot than before though. He couldn't believe it. Of all people, of all the guys out there that Wondy could have had her pick of...

He couldn't help but utter the words aloud, feeling an odd mix of pride, happiness and jealousy.

"Way to go, Bats."

And then he cast it from his mind. The other three were a fair distance away now, though not far enough that he couldn't close the gap in just a single second. As he once again began to run, Flash knew that it was time to get his game face back on.

It was time to get to work. Even for the Flash, everything else could wait until afterwards.

But when it was afterwards, _then _Flash would allow the thoughts to come back to him, the gossip and rumour mill to start working away inside his head.

Bats and Wondy. He could hardly believe it.

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN:**_

**So there you go. After the end of the thrilling World Cup, I hope you all find this enjoyable too. And on that note, have to say well done to Germany. You deserve it. And I didn't even mention the war... Except just then, but I think I got away with it.**

**Anyways, as usual, let me know what you all think. Who will be the lucky one to send in review number 100? Let the race begin for fabulous prizes!**

**(Disclaimer: there is no prizes, but review anyway)**


	18. Chapter 17: The Sky is Falling

**Chapter 17: The Sky is Falling**

Snapper Carr was frankly amazed that he was still alive. He could have sworn that the aliens were going to kill him once he told them about their leader, that the foe had died years ago when the Justice League defeated the invasion of Earth.

The Imperium had hurt him though. Badly too, seemingly taking great pleasure from doing so. For a species whose usual form wasn't exactly solid, they could sure pack one hell of a wallop. Snapper had been on the receiving end of plenty of blows, and more. He was sure his skin was nearly completely black and blue now, that at least some bones were cracked and broken. His face was surely a mess, with at least one eye swollen shut, the other half way there too. He was convinced that under his own power he would be completely unable to move.

However, it wasn't under his own power that he was travelling. The aliens were dragging him, dragging him through some sort of facility. He had no idea where he was still, hardly any idea what was going on around him. He didn't have the energy left in him to look around, all those reporter's instincts nullified by the pain, and the fear of more to come.

But even without looking he could make out the lights. He was being dragged past scores of them, row after row of person-sized blocks of red, feet trailing across a perfectly smooth deck. Only when the pair of Imperium dragging him suddenly stopped did Snapper even raise his head to see why. Even that took him a moment.

He was next to some sort of pod. What it did Snapper hadn't a clue, but his mind was still sharp enough for him to realise that all of those lights that he had just been dragged past were similar pods to this one. Only those ones had been activated already.

"This is the last one," he heard one of the aliens hiss to the other. "All of the captives are in place now but him. Let us hurry so that our vengeance can begin."

The other didn't say anything in response, not verbally at least. Snapper felt it as the two arms wrapped around him ungainly hoisted him up high into the air, over the threshold of the pod. If Snapper had any energy in his body at all then he would have felt compelled to fight what was happening, would have felt that what was happening _needed _fighting. Alas, in his state he could do no such thing.

Before he knew it he was settled within the thing, a seemingly organic shield forming around it, enclosing him in. He groaned then. That might have sealed him within this thing, but it also sealed the aliens away from him. Snapper allowed himself to feel some relief at that, even if he knew that this ordeal was far from over.

But the relief was remarkably short lived. Barely had his groan began than he felt the tubes pierce his flesh, embedding themselves in under his temples. They felt almost like they were going straight for his brain.

Snapper couldn't hold off the screams. He didn't even try to. The pain was so intense it was ridiculous, his head feeling suddenly as if it was being split apart with a rusty pickaxe.

And things were only worsened as he felt the mental scars forming too, felt what was truly happening around him as a mind suddenly touched so many others.

As he realised that the aliens had just turned him into a living battery, ready to power a weapon that could very well destroy the world.

A weapon that was imminently about to try and do exactly that...

* * *

><p>General Mulligan was still marshalling his troops, still getting this evacuation organised, but there was still a long way to go. They had to keep going, to get these people clear. Time was <em>not <em>on their side, whatever the cloud did. Either it would move to strike again with the Justice League unable to stop it, or Mulligan's weapon would be ready in time with all the collateral damage it would wreak. Either way, Mulligan knew that the city was about to take a big hit.

But with the weapon still being prepped, evacuation was definitely the focus right now. Over in the distance the Justice League were still plotting, still scheming some way of their own with dealing with the cloud. Mulligan was not about to interrupt them again. They'd had their chance. Now he had to do this whole thing his way.

"Sir, teams are reporting that another ten-block radius is evacuated!" a young communications officer suddenly declared from beside Mulligan in the command centre tent, listening in to the status reports the soldiers in the city were issuing forth. Mulligan couldn't share the optimism that was in the officer's voice, though. Not yet.

"There's still far more than that to go yet, son," he muttered, knowing that he wasn't exaggerating. A city the size of Metropolis with a population exceeding eight million would take days to clear properly _without _all the chaos that had befallen it. They had only just scratched the surface.

It was then that he looked to the skies. He didn't know why he chose to do so at that time, he didn't know what made him feel the need to. However, he timed it just right to see, to see as that cloud began to move again.

Began to move back _towards _the city.

"And we might just be out of time."

* * *

><p>The glowing stopped after only a matter of seconds, the spell that Fate, Zatanna and the rest had just placed on her clearly doing its stuff. Shayera wouldn't normally volunteer to be tinkered with with magic, but this wasn't a normal situation. There were people trapped in that energy cloud that needed help, and damn it she was going in there to help them. If that meant that Fate and his little wizards needed to put a spell on her so that they could keep track of her in there, then so be it.<p>

Reaching out, she snatched her mace back from the clutching hands of GL where she had dumped it to make sure its Nth metal didn't interfere with the magics. Ever since he had failed to talk her out of this he had been right there, trailing her around like some sort of lap dog. That made Shayera feel more annoyed at him. If he was being protective then he should have known damn well that she could take care of herself, that she _liked _taking care of herself. If it was..._something else_, then he should damn well have said something weeks ago and stopped acting like such a child. _Damn_ him!

"It is complete," Fate announced what she had already realised, drawing her attention back to his faceless mask. "Everything is in place. You are now a conduit which we can use to detect the presence of other minds, a link with which we can extract them and return them to their bodies. You will likely have to get in close proximity to them within the cloud for us to separate one mind from the next, but we cannot say for certain until you are inside. And do not worry. Via the connection we shall have no trouble extracting your mind back to your body from the cloud once you enter it. Once the time is right."

"Right, well I better go let the General know. Gotta keep the people up to date with what we're doing after all._ They're_ the public officials here," Arrow piped up there, briefly interrupting. He had been watching things unfold in silence up to that point, but it was clear what he would do. His left wing motives were never particularly hidden. He moved away after that, not waiting for any kind of confirmation or dismissal. However, barely had he gone than someone else spoke up in his place.

"You can still back out of this. You don't have to be the one to do this."

That was GL who had spoken, still trying to talk her out of this, still looking petrified at the thought of what she was about to risk. However, Shayera was far from being ready to change her mind. He still hadn't given her any kind of reason to.

"I'm doing it," she returned, voice full of both fire and finality. That was all she said to GL, not wanting to look at those green eyes longer than she had to right now. Man, what a paradox _that _was. She so loved those eyes, even when the mind behind them was making him a total jerk. Instead she turned back to Fate and the other magicians, facing them even when it wasn't them that she was talking to. "Be ready then. I'm going in. GL, if you're so determined to stick close you'd better not slow me down. And you'd better not be too indecisive to catch me when that thing takes my mind away to... _wherever_ it'll go."

"I will," GL instantly responded, sounding determined at last. At least he wasn't hesitant there. Once she was in the cloud, Shayera knew that her body would end up as limp as the four founders up in the Watchtower's Infirmary, only hers would end up with a long old fall. She needed someone to catch her. He may have too distant for far _too _long, but at least GL was going to be there for her now, when she may fall.

"Then there is nothing left to say other than to wish all of us good luck," Dr. Fate wrapped things up. However, his voice trailed off for a moment there. It had been the witch Zatarra who had looked up first, but it was infectious. Once Dr. Fate looked up into those skies, Shayera couldn't help but match the movement.

And it was then that she saw that the cloud was moving too. It was coming in for another attack. Time was up. If they couldn't pull this off, time might be up for _everyone_.

"Couldn't have timed _that _any better," Shayera growled under her breath, gripping her mace tighter than ever. She still didn't look to GL as she addressed him louder with her next words, though this time it was partly because that cloud had her full attention. _Partly__. _"Come on, John. We gotta go."

* * *

><p>The moment had been such a nice one too. She should have known that the chaos was going to go and bloody erupt again and spoil it. Today really was one of those days. Hell, today had just become the epitome of '<em>one of those days<em>'.

Lois Lane hadn't listened in on what the Justice Leaguers had been discussing, feeling it best to just leave them to it when the entire city was at stake. Even if her reporter's instinct was telling her otherwise, Lois stayed out of it. But she wasn't running away. She was not letting all these nearby military men evacuate her with all of the other people nearby. She would be sticking this one out right to the end. After all, Superman could always swoop in again and save her life. He had done it plenty of times before, he could _always_ do it one more time.

Of course, once the Justice League had finished their pondering, Lois had wanted to leap right in there and find out all the juicy gossip. She had watched as the one who used to get called Hawkgirl walked off to one side, plenty of the others going off with her to do one hero thing or another. However, Superman hadn't gone with them. He'd come back over to see her, to see Lois. Clearly he wasn't an integral part of the League's plan of attack. That had surprised Lois, considering all the things that man could do.

Superman had spent the few minutes seeming rather awkward. It was abundantly clear to Lois that there was something that he wanted to tell her but he just couldn't find the words, instead always venturing off on some tangent that clearly wasn't on his original course. The fate of Bruce was an easy one for him to go for, playing on the fact that Lois still cared about what happened to that man, however dark he was. She had tried to egg Superman into telling her more, though, once she had heard more about how Bruce and the rest were still alive, but none of it had worked. Of course, things weren't helped by the fact Lois also had the sense that it was the situation that was inspiring Superman to get this far. It was odd to see it in him, but there were traces of worry there. She had wanted to inspire him to talk, but she had also wanted to avoid letting those traces of worry fester and build.

But then things had gone and meant he couldn't get around to it. Things always got in the way. Lois guessed that she should have expected all that, getting so involved with these superheroes, _this _one in particular. They had both heard the noise as the military and the other Justice Leaguers began dashing about with an increased sense of urgency. That had been the signal for them both to look to the skies and see the cloud moving in, Superman doing so all too readily.

"Superman here," he suddenly blurted out beside her, cutting himself off from another stuttering attempt to say whatever it was he wanted to say. He was talking to his communicator, Lois could tell, though it was still odd whenever he did this. As he was talking, Lois saw the ex-Hawkgirl and the Green Lantern launch themselves off into the skies and into action again. "Yes Captain, I've seen it, I'll be right there. Hold it off as well as you can."

Superman turned to face her then, his comm call clearly over.

"You've got to go," Lois said the words for him. "Don't worry, you can tell me whatever it was you wanted to say when you get back."

Superman's face was hit with surprise there. Clearly he had thought that he hadn't been letting on at all with all his awkward attempts at starting conversation, but Lois was sure that even someone who wasn't an award winning investigative journalist could have picked up on it. However, she also knew that she couldn't leave him stood there in surprise. The world clearly needed him, more so than she did. For now anyway. Because of that, she snapped him out of it with a quick kiss on his cheek.

"Get going. Save the day. Again."

Superman nodded then, but his tongue was still too tied to say anything more as he lifted off into the air, slowly at first and then with incredible speed. She watched him go as best as she could, but he had quickly become a red and blue blur, becoming lost in the chaos as people – flying heroes included – began swarming everywhere in the panic of that cloud coming in again.

As he went Lois couldn't help but think that for a man of such power the Man of Steel could really be so timid sometimes. Never from a fight of course, but when it came to other things... It could get quite frustrating on occasions.

Especially when Lois felt she had already figured out what it was he was trying to say, and had been waiting months now to just hear him say it.

Well, he had better damn well make sure that he and his team beat this thing. She'd hate for them all to go out without him finally getting around to it.

* * *

><p>Batman marched, leading the group away from that centre of the energy that had consumed them. He was well aware of the others keeping stride all around him, but he didn't bother stopping or even paying any attention to them, not even Diana, not now. Now, despite all that the last minutes had brought up to distract him with, he had to concentrate. He had to plan. He had to know exactly how he was going to pull this off. They didn't have far to go, but every second of the journey had to be put to use. They only had one shot at this.<p>

But he knew this could work. He knew it was their only chance, their only chance of saving everyone up here as well as everyone down on the Earth. And Batman honestly knew that right now he was the only chance to pull it off. Yes, he would need the others help to fend off what would surely be scores of the invading aliens. Yes, they would need J'onn's telepathy. And yes, the others were not exactly stupid. But right now Batman's mind was most definitely the best weapon that they had, and not only because of his genius intellect.

It was because he, far more than the rest, understood fear. Fear was the tool he used everyday, his greatest weapon against the scum and villainy that eternally plagued his beloved city. He had dedicated his life to using fear against those who so often threatened the innocents with it. He knew what made even the lost minds of non-corporeal aliens scared, or at least he could easily figure it out.

And he would do exactly that. He would use the changing environments of the cloud's innards to show the Imperium that _they _should be afraid, and he would use that fear to weaken their power on this cloud. He would use the cloud itself to show the Martians _they _had no reason to fear the Imperium. He would use the cloud itself to inspire them to stop this attack before it could do some serious damage.

However, a few steps before they escaped the range of the glowing light of the core, something happened that made it clear that they wouldn't pull this off as quickly as they had hoped. They wouldn't be able to stop all of the damage. The cloud suddenly vaulted around them, making Batman have to momentarily pause to make sure he kept his feet. All around him the others did the same, at least one pair of hands grasping hold of him as the others also tried to maintain their balance during the momentary shake.

But it wasn't one like before. This one was different. This one wasn't the cloud being torn apart. Batman quickly concluded what it must be, even before J'onn's telepathy allowed him to confirm it.

"The Imperium have launched their next assault," the Martian declared, a real note of panic in his deep voice. Batman turned to face him, forcing his mind to concentrate ever harder when he saw the hand that had grasped him was highly feminine despite its strength.

"Then we can't wait any longer," he firmly stated. "Make contact with your people J'onn. Make sure their listening in on what's about to happen, and listening closely. And while you're at it, make sure the Imperium can hear where we are and that we're planning to fight them. Draw them here. We'll be ready."

"Order us a pizza too while you're at it, big guy. I'm starving." Flash's speed applied to his voice too as he got in just before J'onn could answer, typically with an off-the-cuff, pointless comment that made Batman want to give him the glare. Luckily for Flash there wasn't time, even for that.

"It will take me a moment," J'onn got in straight afterwards. "Keep moving to where you need to be. I shall catch up shortly."

Batman did not need telling twice. Wonder Woman and Flash hesitated slightly, not so willing to leave J'onn behind, but Batman had the advantage of knowing that they wouldn't be doing so for long. J'onn would be pursuing them in no time, helped out by his ability to fly, and they still had a little way to go to ensure that that energy core couldn't give the Imperium a beacon to the world beyond the one Batman was about to create for them.

Of course the other two were soon caught up with him again courtesy of their powers, Flash even darting slightly ahead with a passing comment Batman knew wasn't worth paying attention too. However, he couldn't ignore Wonder Woman as she gently squeezed his shoulder as she too walked past, offering him a warm smile clearly meant for encouragement, surely knowing what he was thinking – particularly after their little trip in the core, and into each other's pasts.

But Batman wished she hadn't. He needed to think straight. He needed his mind to be its usual dark hell to pull this off. He didn't need her light infecting him now. For once, the world didn't. That was why he had to work harder than ever to fight away the feelings she inspired in him with just the simplest look, why he had to keep his face stony and grim.

The cloud would soon be at Metropolis all over again. For all the people's sake, Batman was determined.

They _would _be ready_. He_ would be ready.

* * *

><p>Holding guard in the skies exactly as Superman had instructed, Captain Atom had spotted the cloud was moving in at the very first flicker of motion. With that, he hadn't hesitated to engage, his actions alone giving all the other Leaguers up there in the skies with him the signal to follow his lead. It didn't matter what had happened last time they engaged this thing. In fact, last time meant they had to fight it all the more. They couldn't let more people die.<p>

Without the thing being frozen, Captain Atom's powers weren't anywhere near as effective as they had been before. They certainly weren't tearing the cloud apart any more. No tentacles were falling to lead to the doom of the innocents still down below. The powers of the others weren't working either, but still they had to try. They had to try more combinations of their powers, more than they had tried before. They had to hope that they would find some combination that would put an end to the cloud's assault. But that alone wasn't enough. They had to find one which wouldn't threaten as many lives as it aimed to save.

But they hadn't found one yet. They hadn't even slowed the cloud down. Despite it having risen high into the skies, the cloud was fast approaching Metropolis all over again.

And this time it looked all the more angry. The energy rippling around it was far more intense, far more numerous, the very colour of the cloud blackening to give the whole thing an aura of true menace. It looked like it meant some real business. It looked like it was more than ready to do some _real _damage.

Which made Captain Atom all the more desperate to stop it.

A second later, he saw the flash of blue and red coming up to his side, accompanied by a searing red blast of heat aimed straight at the cloud. Once again it did nothing, but at least it gave Captain Atom some hope.

Superman had arrived.

"We have a plan Captain!" Superman was instantly shouting as soon as he was at Captain Atom's side in the skies. "We have a plan, a plan to get the people out of that thing! Then we can try and destroy it again, but we have to buy Shayera and the magician's time to act!"

"On it!" Captain Atom returned, though he wasn't sure exactly how he and the others were going to pull that off, even with the endlessly powered Superman up there with them.

But as the cloud got ever nearer, tentacles of energy looking like they were getting ready to strike, he knew that they damn well had to try. Spotting Shayera, the one Superman had just said held the key to this, flying up fast towards the cloud just inspired him all the more.

* * *

><p>He was right on her heels from the second she took off, not allowing her to even get a couple of metres ahead. John Stewart was going to make<em> sure<em> Shayera made it inside that cloud safely, for the sakes of her and the world.

And for his own sake too.

They weren't wasting time, flying hard and fast straight for that rapidly descending cloud. Shayera's eyes were locked on it, not even the merest glance back at GL as they flew. He knew she would be focusing about know, that she would be using the sight of that cloud preparing to attack again as even further motivation to ensure she got the job done. He also knew that wasn't everything, not by a long shot. Damn, why did things have to go and get so complicated? And why was it always happening right at the same time that the world was ending? Despite being focused himself, GL couldn't hold back from silently cursing his luck.

But it was a good job that he _was_ concentrating. That cloud was practically at the city. GL could see Captain Atom and the rest were already engaging it, aided by Superman whose intense speed had gotten him high in the sky quicker than either GL or Shayera could go. However, he could also see that all of those heroes weren't having much luck at slowing the cloud down. Hardly any at all in fact.

There was not a thing that any of them could do to stop the blasts of energy the cloud suddenly sent surging right towards the city.

A blast that GL and Shayera just happened to be in the way of.

It was reactionary, a desperate move. GL knew from the last attack that his power ring wasn't going to be able to stop that energ. He also knew that that tentacle could not be allowed to hit its target.

He could just tell. He could tell that this strike wasn't Shayera's way into that cloud. This strike was intended to kill, and kill _many_. Worse, its was big enough and fast enough that it appeared that Shayera wouldn't be able to get out of the way in time, even with her near instant reaction.

So GL had done the only thing that he could. Summoning up his will, he sent a blast of green light forward, using it as a lever to pry Shayera out of the way of the tentacle. He flipped her into the air, high out of the way as the power came crashing through, so intense that it thundered through the air.

Newton was the saving grace for GL himself. Pushing Shayera upwards with the strength that he had meant the opposite force dragged him down. He only just made it, feeling the blast of energy almost ripping the flesh from his back as it burned past only fractions away from him.

But the same couldn't be said for some of the people of Metropolis. Spinning in the air as he continued flying onwards, GL saw as the tentacle of energy surged straight into the nearest of the city's towering skyscrapers. And it didn't just envelop the structures as before. It wrought utter destruction. Glass was smashed, metal and concrete wrought apart, the tip of the tower torn clean off and sent tumbling down into the streets far below. In just a single second everything had fallen even further into chaos. With just one second one of the tallest buildings in America had just been smashed apart. It was a skyscraper on the side of the city furthest from the evacuation point.

The side of the city most likely still to be populated...

He couldn't know for sure, but looking at the damage GL was sure innocents had just been killed. Perhaps a lot of them in one fell swoop. However, no matter how much he disliked the fact, he was more concerned with the one than the many. With her on the opposite side of the tentacle, he couldn't see through its power-emitted light to tell whether he got Shayera out of the way in time. No matter how much faith he had in her, he was still scared, scared she might have been that tentacles first victim...

But as he surged around the energy tentacle still spewing forth energy into the increasingly crumbling skyscraper, he felt hit by relief. Shayera was still alive, still flying, still fighting. More, she had pulled ahead of him, much further ahead. Looking back had clearly slowed GL more than he had thought. He was still a good distance away, but Shayera was practically at the cloud now.

And it was clear that she was still not going to look back, even though there were no guarantees she would ever make it out of that thing alive...

GL fought to catch up, to be close at hand to catch her once that cloud claimed her mind, and to hope that the entire body of that thing hadn't become as dangerous as that tentacle was. He had to keep going, and pretend that Shayera's refusal to even look at him didn't hurt. He had to be ready.

Even over that distance he heard her war cry go up again. Without slowing down, Shayera plunged in headfirst, straight into the belly of the beast up ahead, mace swinging wildly just in case she could do some damage on the way in.

Despite knowing it was coming, GL felt the fear grip his stomach as she disappeared into the midst of the cloud, the worry that she was gone for good. It felt like forever until he saw her form again, even though it was only fractions of a second. His eyes were well peeled for any sign when he spotted her limp form plummeting fast towards the very solid ground from out of the cloud's underbelly. She was clearly unconscious, though whether that was as planned – or something worse – remained to be seen. Either way, GL had no choice but to surge after her.

With his ring projecting at the speed of light, it was easy for him to send out a giant-sized baseball mitt and catch her, stopping her all too rapid fall. But he didn't end there. He had to get Shayera – or her body at least – out of there. He had to get her away from the cloud, away from all its dangers. He had to make sure she was safe. He had to make sure that she was alive, and via the old fashioned way at that. He couldn't just rely on magic right now.

Closing the distance between light and man, he was quick to note that she wasn't scarred and burned as those who were electrocuted looked. She looked just as Batman, Diana and the rest had done before. Physically untouched, yet lifeless. Lifeless enough that Lantern's worry remained strong. He had to get her clear.

"Green Lantern to Watchtower!" he yelled into his comm device. He knew Mr. Terrific would be listening, knew that the man would be getting the message instantly. That was why he didn't bother waiting to hear him reply before getting to the point. "I assume you know what the plan was. Shayera's gone in! Beam her..._body _up there now! I want her checked by the docs! I want to know her minds in that thing and that she's not... That she's not..."

GL couldn't finish that sentence. Thankfully he didn't have to. Before he got any kind of vocal response Shayera disappeared from his ring-emitted hand in a flash of light, teleported up to the waiting staff of the Watchtower. She was transported up to the help she could well need.

Or, perhaps, the help it could be too late for.

"Got her GL," Mr. Terrific's voice rang back at John. "Don't worry, we'll look after her. Good luck down there."

"Yeah..." was all GL could say before clicking off the comm. It took him a full minute to get over all of his feelings about what he had just been through in the last seconds, about what he had just seen. But he was chosen to be the Green Lantern for a reason, and no matter what had just happened, he still had a job to do. Remembering that smoking wreck of a skyscraper, GL quickly turned to fly back to the action, to assist Superman, Captain Atom and the rest in trying to stop the thing, however he could.

And – hopefully – to buy Shayera the time to save them all.

Providing she was still alive herself.


	19. Chapter 18: Fear Will Find You

**Chapter 18: Fear Will Find You**

She certainly wasn't in Metropolis any more, that much was for sure. Floating rocks in a red sky over oddly course sands was what surrounded her now, as opposed to a vast city and an angry cloud. It was hardly what Shayera had been expecting when she had flown head first into a cloud of pure energy, but then today should have taught her already to expect the unexpected. Nothing about any of this was exactly normal.

She had awoken groggily. She had no idea how long she had been out but she dearly hoped that it hadn't been for long. She might not have let GL see it, but she had looked back to see the damage the cloud had done, the damage that he had managed to save her from. She knew the carnage that thing could wreak on Metropolis, but she also knew that Superman and the rest wouldn't just destroy it, no matter how logical a choice it became, not when doing so would potentially take as many lives as it would save. They had another way. They would make sure they took it.

Which meant Shayera had to act fast. There wasn't time to wonder, wasn't time to worry. There wasn't even time to take a second to make sure that wherever this place was, however she was there, and however _physical _she was there, she was still in one piece. She just took straight back off into the sky.

But with all the need for speed, it didn't help that she had absolutely no idea how to track her fellow Founders down. It wasn't like any of them were within view. Wonder Woman, Wally, J'onn and Batman could be anywhere in here as far as Shayera knew, and as far as she knew the laws of physics wouldn't apply in here either. This place could well be far bigger than it looked from the outside. Searching could well take forever.

At least it would if technology didn't work in this place either. From everything they knew, Shayera was now in a purely mental realm, a place where everything there was purely made of visions and imagination. Yet, looking down, she saw that she was still wearing the exact same clothing she had been wearing as she had flown into the cloud, still held the exact same mace. With a quick check, she noted that she still had the exact same comm in her ear, too. Perhaps that meant that the mind recreated those things. Perhaps that meant they could still work in here courtesy of the powers of thought, courtesy of knowing how such things _should _work. And perhaps the other four all had their comms in here as well.

"This is Shayera to all Justice Leaguers, do you read me?" she quickly called out after jamming on the device. There was no response, no sign at all that anyone had heard her, but then Shayera didn't exactly have an actual comm in her ear at the minute to send the call on. Hell, she didn't have an actual _ear _at the minute. It had certainly been a long shot. She shouldn't have got her hopes up.

But then Shayera spotted something else. The comm was giving off _a _signal. It wasn't a message, it wasn't words. But it was a locator signal, coming from a nearby League communicator. It was directions, and that was exactly what she had needed anyway. It seemed that these things had a rather selective use in the cloud, doing some jobs but not others. Odd, but Shayera didn't care. She had what she needed. She had her direction.

She just had to get there fast, before any more people died.

* * *

><p>They knew the cloud was moving again, but they still would not act to help protect this world. It wasn't that they didn't <em>want <em>to help. They hadn't lost their heart, their compassion. They just _couldn't _help. Getting themselves killed along with the others would help no-one. So they would have to sit by, to remain hidden as they had done for hundreds of years, and try not to watch too closely as the Imperium devils inflicted yet more pain and suffering on an undeserving galaxy.

M'vall Ma'jolnyk looked across at her fellow Martians. Ever since they had departed away from J'onn J'onzz they had been here, silently listening, silently watching, silently hiding. Centuries really were such a long time. M'vall was so very tired of hiding. She knew the others around her were too. She deeply wished that things could be different. That they didn't have to keep hiding like this. But far more than that she didn't want to die. They had all sacrificed their lives once in an attempt to stop the spread of the Imperium's villainy. She for one wasn't planning on doing so again. They all knew that the Martian race had fallen. If nothing else, they _had _to live on to ensure that, in some strange way, it at least survived through them.

The humans would just have to hope that they could survive too. The Imperium had proved the Martians couldn't beat them. Nothing had changed, no matter what J'onn and his speedy companion had said.

Gazing into the eyes of her compatriots, M'vall saw in the glowing red that they were all thinking along the same lines, that they were all sympathetic to the Earth's plight. But she also saw that they too saw no possible hope, no point in sacrificing their lives to offer their telepathic strength for the fight. She was about to talk to them, to reaffirm to them that if they stayed here and stayed hidden then they could survive, just as she had done countless times over the years. About to, that was, until J'onn J'onzz's voice suddenly rang out in all of their minds.

"_My people, before you shut me out, listen to me. Just listen, that is all I ask. My friends and I are about to engage the Imperium. We are about to try to show to you that there is hope, that you don't need to be afraid any more. We are about to try and prove to you that the Imperium can be beaten. I ask only that you listen to our attempt. If we are successful, if we can beat the Imperium, I may then ask once again for more. The Earth_ _may ask you for more. But for now, just listen."_

The connection ended as fast as it had begun, leaving no time for a response to be offered. M'vall was still angry at J'onn for his comments when they last spoke, for comparing her and the others to the enemy, for refusing to see that if they openly opposed the Imperium then _all _would be lost. She knew that was still clouding her judgement somewhat from the anger she felt as soon as she heard J'onn's voice in her mind. J'onn probably knew it too, that being the reason he kept things short.

That, and the fact that without turning this into a debate, with only making a request that wouldn't put them in jeopardy, he was rather persuasive.

"They're about to engage the Imperium? Just the four of them? They will be overwhelmed! They will be slaughtered!" one of the other Martians declared, staring at M'vall as if he couldn't believe what he was hearing, as if J'onn and the humans were mad for even thinking of doing what they were about to do. From the nodding and mutterings of some of the others around the gathering, it was clear that he wasn't the only one thinking along those lines.

"Perhaps," one of the others spoke up over the hubbub. "It is most likely. But these four were amongst the very few who defeated the Imperium before. These are the ones who brought about the final end of their leader. And two of them have already beaten the Imperium to reach the core of this cloud just moments ago. Surely if anyone has a chance, its them. M'vall, I'm so tired of living like this. So very tired. This might be the chance we've dreamed off of a life without having to watch our backs for the Imperium wherever we hide. We should at least listen, to know how real a chance that is."

"But we can't let the Imperium know where we are!" another jumped in quick. "We must listen from the shadows as before! We must stay away, and leave the fight to them. We musn't allow J'onn J'onzz to trick us into what he came to us for before!"

"Agreed," M'vall stepped in, knowing that they had to settle this quick, and not only because J'onn and his allies would be engaging the Imperium soon. She knew the cloud was descending back, intending to kill as many people of the Earth as it could. "You are all correct. We will listen. But we will remain hidden."

Her words, as they usually did, were taken as final. The Martians around her settled in, their eyes beginning to glow as they all began to stretch out to sense what was happening across the cloud. M'vall silently settled in to do likewise, though she wasn't looking forward to what she was about to hear, sure that it wouldn't be the convincing argument that J'onn was hoping for. She was always one for peace.

And listening to J'onn and the three others die, as they surely would, was going to be tough to hear.

* * *

><p>They <em>were <em>ready. They had finally gotten far enough away from the central core and its luminosity. They were in place, and he had everything now worked out in his head. It was time for them to stop being thoughts and plans. It was time for them all to act. It had to be now.

Luckily J'onn did not keep them waiting. He flew in from across the way before the others – especially Flash – could get too fidgety. Batman was glad. He couldn't afford to be focusing on playing big brother to the group right now. Just as why he was trying to keep his eyes and mind well off Wonder Woman, those thoughts just weren't dark enough. And darkness was what was needed here.

"It is done," J'onn announced as he landed at Batman's side. "The Martians are keeping tabs on what will happen here. And I have made sure that the Imperium know we are planning to stop them. It is enough bait that they won't be able to resist coming to stop us. As soon as they can arrange a force that will allow them to still control the cloud, they will be coming."

"Then let's lay out the welcome mat," Batman growled. "J'onn, use what telepathy you can to strengthen my thoughts into the environment. It's imperative that I have control."

"I will do everything that I can," J'onn responded with a nod of his head.

"And Wondy and me? What are we doing in all of this exactly?" Flash piped up hurriedly, no doubt in a mix of both his usual rush and awareness of the lack of time.

"The legwork," Batman answered immediately. "When the Imperium come J'onn and I will be too busy altering the environment to engage them. The two of you need to keep us safe, and to make _them _hurt. _That _will make them even _more _afraid."

"Don't worry, I've got your back. You'll be fine," Wonder Woman replied, words full of subtext that Batman fought to ignore. It was time.

"They're coming," J'onn suddenly declared. "I can sense it. They'll be here in seconds."

"Then everyone get ready!" Batman barked out the order, mind already going into that darkness, into what he knew would make the Imperium afraid. "J'onn, as soon as they're on us, enhance my thoughts!"

The time had come. The time when everything rested on his mind, his darkness and sheer determination to win.

It was one hell of a good job he was the god damn Batman.

* * *

><p>Barely had Batman shouted out the words than things were changing all around them, but it wasn't the environment first. She saw them coming, springing up out of the ground in an exact reversal of how they had disappeared before. Scores of them, more than they had engaged at the core. Far more. They certainly seemed like they meant business, like they wanted the four members of the Justice League stopped before they could do anything to stop them<em>. <em>Like they wanted the four of them dead.

The Imperium emerged a short distance away, weapons ready in hand, almost instantly taking aim. It was then when the real changes happened. It was then, with them in range and before they could fire, that Batman put his plan into action.

It was remarkable to see, and it hadn't been exactly what Wonder Woman had been expecting. Everything suddenly got bright, very bright, as if they were stood practically on the surface of the sun itself...

Of course. _Of course! _It had been sunlight that had been the key to them defeating the Imperium before, sunlight that had been the only thing to drive the Imperium off when it had seemed that the world was sure to fall. It had been sunlight that had made those physical Imperium flee in fear. More, the sunlight was so obviously harmful to them that being afraid of it was surely one of the most base desires for any Imperium, even in here. It was a survival instinct to fear it. There could well be nothing that the Imperium feared more. This was just an illusion, of course, but it would still make the Imperium was remarkable. Batman, the Dark Knight of the shadows, was using light to inspire fear.

And, despite it all, the irony of Batman inspiring terror with light wasn't lost on her. Especially having seen his thoughts about herlight so recently...

But, keeping such thoughts at bay, with her own wisdom Wonder Woman could tell that wasn't all Batman had done, that the light wasn't the only intimidation. The light alone was one thing, yes, but so was the effect it was having. It was nearly blinding, but not totally. Wonder Woman had enough vision remaining to see a couple of metres on either side of her. She could barely pick out Batman, J'onn and Flash through the haze, and they were right beside her. J'onn had said that the Imperium were afraid of being alone, of being unable to find their brethren and being lost, alone, without guidance. Now, with that light blinding them, they were even more alone. They had even more reason to be afraid.

It was remarkable. How did Batman always do it? How did he always _know_?

But there wasn't time to answer the question. There wasn't time for any of it. Bruce was right again with what he had said. What he was doing to the environment would not be enough. Staying here for any duration would make them realise that this sunlight didn't harm them like the real thing, and talking would let them keep tabs on one another. They had to be prevented from making those realisations. They had to be distracted. They had to associate the sunlight with pain.

They had to be beaten. Literally.

That was where Wonder Woman and the Flash came in. This was their part of Bruce's plan.

Though she couldn't see it, Wonder Woman could hear as the Imperium opened fire. It was blind, random, hopeful at best, but that didn't mean it couldn't possibly do damage. Leaping across the short gap quickly, Wonder Woman hurled herself in the line of fire, using her bracelets to make sure none of those pop shots came close to any of J'onn, Bruce or herself. The problem there was that it meant there was nothing much she could do to fight.

"Flash!" she roared out into brightness, knowing that Wally would be able to hear her. "Distract them! Draw their fire away!"

She didn't need to say what else she had in mind. It wasn't particularly complex, but the heat of a battle wasn't the time for conversation, no matter the purpose.

"I'm on it!" Flash hollered back. There was a sound of whooshing air, the faintest glimpse of nearby red.

More importantly, a few seconds later the shots that were actually coming her way ceased, yet the sound of firing remained. Flash was doing exactly as Wonder Woman had asked, getting in close enough to ensure the Imperium spotted him and tried to track him with their weapons. That meant they were looking elsewhere. That meant that they weren't targeting Bruce and J'onn. That meant that Wonder Woman had the perfect opening to go and start the damage.

She flew into the brightness, hard and fast, fists out just in case any Imperium she couldn't see got in the way. It was then that she noticed something else about the realm Bruce was creating with J'onn's aid. Batman wasn't just making a realm of sunlight. That sunlight was _shifting, _dancing, moving as everyone within it moved. It was keeping the Imperium trapped in it, keeping them blinded, but as much as possible it was making sure that Wonder Woman could see. And it was surely doing the same for Flash. That made Wonder Woman even more amazed at just how Batman was pulling this off. That really must be one giant strain on his mind. Good job his mind was so strong.

But she was strong too, and those Imperium soldiers were definitely about to find that out.

They were still firing any way but at her. She would have to thank Flash for that when they were done. What's more, as she got closer it was clear that Flash had actually lined them up for her. In simple, Man's World terms, he had lined up the pins ready for her to come for a strike.

And Wonder Woman did not fail him. She didn't get to see the white, gelatinous creatures for long before her fists were pummeling them to goo as she ploughed straight through them, but she saw just about enough to inspire some hope in her. There was nothing the aliens could do to stop her, but what was most important was that, already, they seemed to be slightly trembling.

The plan was starting to work. They just had to make sure it didn't _stop _working any time soon.

There was plenty of fighting to go. Those first few were just a pittance of the force the Imperium had sent after merely the four of them. It would take a lot more than that to convince the Martians to help them.

And so Diana surged on, courtesy of a corridor of vision that Bruce and J'onn were giving her, ready to help Flash try and bring as many of these aliens down as they could, as fast as they could.

But even as she went, she kept both eyes open. She didn't want to stray _too _far. Right now, J'onn and Bruce were every bit at risk as the world the cloud was so threatening.

And Wonder Woman definitely wasn't prepared to sacrifice one group for the other, not when there was anything she could do about it.

* * *

><p>Batman's mind was working hard to keep up with all that was happening, to maintain the false sunlight he had shrouded the Imperium in and to keep it moving so they remained covered by it. All that being said, though, J'onn's mind was hardly restful right now. He had a lot on his plate too.<p>

J'onn crouched low, keeping himself from becoming an obvious target. He knew that Wonder Woman and the Flash would do all that they could to guard Batman and himself, but they couldn't be everywhere, and there was a chance of at least a stray shot coming this way. That was why J'onn – and Batman – were both being careful. They were both too busy to be able to pay enough attention to the fighting to get involved in it. They were both needed too much elsewhere.

And in J'onn's case, elsewhere had an even stronger meaning than it did for Batman. He may be right beside Gotham's Dark Knight in the cloud, but his mind went both closer and further than that, all at the same time. It was a burden, a challenge, but it was one he had to face in order to ensure they managed to pull this off. On the one hand, he was telepathically connected to Batman, drawing in those thoughts, those tactics that he was using to try and get the Imperium as scared as the foes had made the other Martians here. On another, J'onn was amplifying those thoughts, using his telepathy to connect directly with the cloud itself. With his telepathy it was easier for him to alter the environment, but with Batman's skills in that particular field, amplifying was all J'onn was up to there.

For J'onn had to be elsewhere too. He had to make sure that the Martians kept listening. He had to make sure that they didn't miss anything. He had to make sure that, this time, his people saw that they didn't have to be afraid any more.

To do that his mind was focused on many places all at once. He had to keep tabs on Wally and Diana, to see their efforts, to see how many Imperium the two of them were defeating. That was intense enough on its own. Flash was a blur, moving at a hundred miles an hour as he tied the Imperium up in knots, getting them disoriented as they tried to track him with their guns only to then not even know which way they were facing thanks to the light Batman was throwing their way. Diana, meanwhile, was picking up the pieces, chasing after Flash as best as she could and finishing off all Imperium that came into view. Some were opposing her, some didn't have the chance, but with them separated by the light she was having little trouble in picking them off. And, of course, she was also keeping a watchful eye out on J'onn and..._Bruce_.

He also had to keep tabs on the Imperium soldiers who were here too, all the vast amount of them, to see how they reacted to it all, to feel as their fear grew from the light, seclusion and pain the Leaguers were throwing their way.

He had to keep tabs on all the rest of the Imperium too, the ones who weren't here, the ones who were guiding the energy cloud in its concurrent attack on the people of Earth. He had to see how they were feeling, if they knew of what was happening to their fellows here and if that sentiment was spreading.

And he had to keep tabs on the Martians, to make sure that they were hearing all of that. And to see how well it was working towards convincing them.

And, amongst all the noise trawling through his head, amongst all the chaos both here and outside the cloud, J'onn was delighted to be feeling plenty of fear and, most importantly, some faint traces of positivity coming from out there.

It was starting to actually work...

* * *

><p>"They're actually winning..."<p>

"They're pulling it off..."

"Can they hold out though?"

"The Imperium, they're scared! They're actually scared!"

"And they're being beaten!"

"The light, it's they're weakness..."

"And their loneliness without their great leader."

"The human's have actually turned the cloud against them!"

"Maybe we could too..."

"Maybe with our telepathy and the power over the cloud that gives us..."

"...will this work?"

"Should we help?"

"_Dare _we help?"

Those things and many more were being said by the other Martians all around M'vall as they all listened in. They had heard it all, listening very closely to the battle that was raging across the cloud. M'vall herself, was giving no reaction to what she was hearing, letting nothing on. In part, that was because she could hardly believe what was happening. Granted they knew that these humans who shared the cloud with them were not ordinary. They knew that, along with J'onn J'onnz, these were some of those who were responsible for the downfall of much evil, including the Imperium.

But knowing that and seeing it were completely different things. Seeing it, hearing it unfold, feeling the fear they were bringing to the Imperium, made everything so much more _real_. It made stories reality, legends truth. And it made the strength of opinions begin to wane.

That was what surprised M'vall the most. Just minutes ago she had been so firm in her determination. Shehad been so afraid, afraid of what the Imperium would do should they finally track her and the other Martians down after centuries of searching. Now, detecting the terror that was spreading amongst the Imperium themselves suddenly made that fear of hers seem almost foolish. If a mere four heroes could do this to an entire army, if they could keep defying them and still keep winning, perhaps there really was hope yet for the scores of Martians here.

Perhaps there was something they could do to help save this planet and its people after all. Perhaps they should dare.

At least that was what M'vall was starting to think until she detected the change, the change that could undo everything that J'onn and his allies were working towards.

And so M'vall remained silent. As things had been, she was being won over, she was actually leaning towards agreeing to help J'onn, to leading the Martians into taking control of the cloud and dragging it away from the people of Earth. Now though, she had to listen for how this played out before weighing in with her opinion, knowing full well that it could sway the other Martians one way or another. She had to hear if J'onn and his friends could continue to survive this, could continue to succeed.

For M'vall knew full well that that task would be far more difficult now that the one known as the Bat Man was gone.

* * *

><p>Batman kept going, kept <em>thinking<em>. He had to keep the shroud of sunlight in place, keep the Imperium blinded, separated and less dangerous. It was vital. It didn't matter how difficult it was, how much of his mighty concentration it was requiring. It didn't matter if, even with J'onn's aide, thinking the cloud into altering was starting to get painful. He would succeed. He would keep the Imperium terrified, he would keep them _weakened_. _Everything _depended on it.

And with her out there fighting thousands with just the Flash to help her, _Diana _depended on it.

And so Batman would keep on thinking the light into place, using the Imperium's own link to the cloud to keep the light trapped around them as they moved. Batman's own darkness fueled him, inspiring him all the more to inspire such terror in the villains. In a great paradox, Batman's darkness kept the light burning.

That was the plan anyway. He only had the briefest of warnings. From his position there wasn't much that he could see, but he saw enough as the familiar figure came close. The winged figure, looking almost angelic framed against the background of brightness, coming right to his side.

And then there was nothing he could see as, before he could do anything to stop it, before he could react at all, and without further warning, the darkness suddenly took him.

* * *

><p>She only had the merest fraction of time to react as the light suddenly disappeared, gone in a flash as if it had never been there at all. The Imperium weren't slow to try and take advantage, and Wonder Woman had to be quick to throw her bracelets up and keep the sudden barrage of shots coming her way at bay.<p>

But it wasn't those shots that were worrying her. There were a hell of a lot, and maybe she wouldn't be able to for long, but for now she could handle them. No, it was why the light had gone that got her scared. Despite the barrage endlessly coming in, she dared to look back, to look at where he had been.

Only to find that Batman was gone, vanished without a trace.

Before she even realised it, Wonder Woman hurled herself into the air, flying fast across the distance and landing at J'onn's side. The Martian looked dazed and confused, but Wonder Woman didn't have time for that. She had other worries now very strong on her mind.

"What happened?" she barked, still dancing with the incoming shots thundering off her bracelets. Her voice was not only loud but full of passion. She couldn't keep her feelings, her worry out of her tone. What _had _happened? He couldn't be gone... "Where's Batman? J'onn, where is he?"

"They've taken him back to his body, back to the real world."

It wasn't J'onn who had answered. Wonder Woman had been so focused on Batman's absence that she hadn't noticed the new arrival until then. Shayera was there. What on Earth was she doing here?

"What do you mean?" Wonder Woman rapidly asked again, still deflecting shots away. Thankfully Flash seemed to have spotted what was happening. Even more thankfully, he seemed to have managed to put his own curiosity and worries at bay. Instead of racing over to join them, he was now working harder than ever to keep the Imperium occupied, rushing around in the distance to keep the Imperium going after him and to stop them from drawing in closer to a position where Wonder Woman might not have been able to keep everyone covered from their fire. "Shayera, what are you doing here? What's going on? What's happened to Bruce?"

"I don't know how much you guys know but this energy cloud thing is tearing Metropolis apart out there," Shayera was quick to answer, clearly well aware that time was not on there side here. "And the only way we've found to hurt it almost tore it apart, and that'd be bad news for all you lot in here and the people down below that the pieces of this thing would land on. So Fate and his band of wizards sent me in here, to use me as a way of tracking down the minds of you lot and the Metropolis citizens. That way they can use this mind switching spell of theirs to get you all back in your bodies where you belong, so that we can then take care of the cloud. That's what happened to Batman. He was the first that Fate pulled out of the cloud. And everyone else is next."

"We can't go!" J'onn shouted out in alarm. "More is going on here than you know. We can't destroy the cloud, even after we're gone. We have to stay. There are more people here to help than you know of."

"We'll explain to you as soon as we can," Wonder Woman chipped in, trying not to sound too relieved to hear that Bruce was alright. There were still plenty of others who might not be, after all. "For now, just try to stop Dr. Fate from taking anyone else and then give Flash a hand. We've got plenty of bad guys we don't want spoiling our party."

Shayera looked confused, but she also looked ready to comply. She was never one to run from a fight, especially when such trusted sources were telling her it was necessary. "I'll do what I can, but I don't know if the magician's can actual hear me. Heck, this day just keeps getting crazier."

With that she flew off, mace activated, soaring away towards the Imperium. The war cry she unleashed made it clear that she definitely meant business, but Wonder Woman had turned away before seeing how much damage her first swing did. They had to get back to their original plan, and that meant they needed a substitute for the best tactical mind around, and fast. In turn, that meant that she couldn't even stop to consider the implications of what might happen if Shayera couldn't hold Fate and the rest off from continuing their extraction plan until everything was done here.

"J'onn, can you manage to alter the environment on your own like Batman did, or would that be stretching your mind too far?"

"I fear I wouldn't be able to sustain all that I am trying to do and that as well," J'onn replied negatively with a shake of his head.

"Then I guess I better take over," Wonder Woman stated firmly. This sort of thing wasn't her forte, but she would have to do. Thank the gods she had Athena's wisdom. It would be vital in showing her the way to pull off what Batman had been so close to achieving. She didn't have his level of aptitude when it came to making fear, but people always pointed out that she was a beacon of light. It was time for her to prove them right, and make plenty of it. "Use my thoughts like you were doing Batman's. Do it now."

And she settled in with that, settled in to forcing her mind to focus, to calm itself solely onto thoughts of making the sun shine, of making those Imperium afraid.

Everything else, all thoughts of how well this was working, of how the other Martians would be reacting, of how safe Bruce actually was, would have to wait, no matter how difficult it was to completely cast them out of her mind. She had to literally grind her teeth to achieve that, to force those thoughts away and gain that focus on her new part of this fight. That took great willpower to pull off.

Especially for that briefest of seconds when she seemed to actually _feel _as somewhere, a long way away, Batman was waking up...

* * *

><p><strong><em>AN:_**

**_And here you go. After a weekend of teaser trailers and poster reveals, the Batman/Wonder Woman/other DC related update you've all been waiting for! I kid of course, since even the crappy phone recorded version of the teaser looked ruddy awesome and I certainly approve of the costume designs, but here this is anyway._**

**_Review/favourite/follow away please!_**


	20. Chapter 19: That Sinking Feeling

**Chapter 19: That Sinking Feeling**

The link was working exactly according to plan. Via the connection with the former Hawkgirl, the magicians could all collectively sense a picture of what was happening insidethat energy cloud. It was certainly an interesting picture, but this wasn't the time for sightseeing.

Especially when, through the link, they all felt the presence of the Leaguers trapped in there already. Separate, distinct presences.

It had worked. So far.

"Everyone, we must work together," Doctor Fate was quick to announce to the rest of the bunch around him. He was the most powerful of them all, therefore he lead this effort. But no matter how powerful he was, facing so many unknowns as they were with this mind-stealing energy cloud he knew that they dare not split duties. It would take all of them working together to ensure that they could pull this off. With there being so many stolen minds in that cloud counting on them, they would do everything possible to help them pull this off. Still, despite all the pressure on them and him in particular, Fate had spoken with such great calmness. "We must take one of them out of there. It is a tough ask, but we have to use one of them as a test subject to make sure the extraction works as well as the insertion."

"Then take Batman," Zatanna was quick to speak up. For some, it seemed to be a little too quick.

"Is it your brain your thinking with with that choice, or something else?" Etrigan growled. Zatanna was quick to flash him a glare worthy of the man in question.

"You of all of us should know that Batman would be the first of them up there to volunteer to do this!" she snapped. "And he's the one of all of the Leaguers up there most like the hundreds of people from this city we also have to save! We have to know that this'll work for _all _of the people up there! Admit it, _Jason_, Batman is the logical choice. Everything else is irrelevant."

"Zatanna is correct," Fate stepped in before the argument could carry on at all. "Everyone, listen to me. Batman is our target. He is the one we shall extract first. Let's make sure that we do it right, that he makes it out in one piece, and that it is safe for the rest to follow him. Concentrate now, all of you. Time is not our friend today, and neither we, nor Batman, can afford for us to make any mistakes here."

* * *

><p>She continued to ignore the situation that was so engrossing so many others, despite the rumours that were circulating through the medical bay around her. Dr. Susan Conway's duty was first and foremost to her patients and, as long as she had some, there was nothing in second place. The danger to the world was irrelevant next to the care those patients of hers deserved.<p>

But no matter how focussed Conway was on her job, she never liked to see more work coming her way. That only meant someone else was in a dire state. And that was exactly what Conway was faced with now as a pair of the Watchtower's civilian staff surged through the door.

Carrying an unconscious Shayera Hol between them.

Conway didn't need to hear any explanations to recognise the symptoms. She had been looking at the exact same set for hours now from the other four. That energy thing, whatever it was, had claimed another leading member of the Justice League.

"Get her on the bed!" Conway quickly instructed the two men before addressing her nurses, already bustling over into position herself. "We need to hook her up like the others, stat! We need to... We nee..."

But she never finished that sentence, trailing off midstream. Something else had just caught her attention, something important enough to take Conway's focus off her latest patient.

"See to Shayera!" Conway barked out the command to her head nurse. "Just do exactly what we did for the rest! You two, with me. Looks like Batman might need us!"

For Batman's heart monitor had changed in its tone. That was what had caught Conway's attention. And she had instantly recognised the signs. They just needed to be checked to make sure they weren't a false hope, that they weren't just the start of a major crash and burn.

It seemed Batman was starting to awaken.

* * *

><p>He had all the medical sensors and life support kit ripped from his body before the medical staff could finish the job themselves, before his eyes had fully opened even. As soon as he felt himself awakening, Batman knew at least the gist of what had happened. He had somehow been ripped out of the cloud. He was back in his body again, and from what he had heard in those first seconds he had quickly deduced exactly where he was.<p>

But what Batman knew more than any of that was that this wasn'tthe place where he needed to be.

"Batman, please, you need to re–!" one of the doctors – Conway from the sound of it – began to protest, but Batman wasn't even going to listen to her for a second. Instead he was already leaping from his hospital bed, marching away immediately towards the command centre. He didn't allow himself to even pause to look at the other cots in the medbay. The doctor's could surely continue with their medical care without his attention. He didn't even pause to check on Diana. The urge to look across at her was strong, especially as he was struck by the oddest sensation of practically being able to feel her still in the cloud, still fighting.

But he had to remember those eight months of training. He had to remember the bigger picture beyond Wonder Woman. He had to remember he had a whole world to save, as well as her.

"Batman to Superman. Respond. Now!"

* * *

><p>The battle was fully raging again, the battle that they just could not find a way to win. The only weapon they had that worked was unusable – it could kill as many as it saved. But lives were still at stake. Many countless lives. Lives which couldn't be given up on. They would just have to do everything that they could and hope, desperately hope that the others could pull off the plan. They could only continue to unleash every one of their collective powers that they had to try and slow down that cloud's rampage down.<p>

They could only keep on fighting the good fight. That was what Superman had been doing for years. Unless the unthinkable ever happened, that was what he would keep on doing for years.

He simultaneously blew out icy breath and blasted heat vision at the cloud as it began to sling another deadly tentacle towards the city. With his enhanced hearing Superman could already hear the screams of anticipated pain. However, he knew he couldn't let it become true hurt, become _death_. He wasn't the only one determined to stop that from happening either. Every Leaguer with the ability to make a difference was around him trying to do exactly that. Green Lantern's ring was forming a barricade to try and block the tentacle. Captain Atom was unleashing highly directed radiation away from any frozen part of the cloud, hoping that it would weaken the thing's power and enable the others to block the energy. Red Tornado was trying to simply blow the cloud away with his winds. Dr. Light, Booster Gold, Stargirl and many others, they were all trying something too.

They had to. The cloud had already struck the city once. An entire skyscraper had fallen, along with all the lives housed within it. GL and Shayera had only just avoided that devastating energy themselves en route to getting the Thanagarian inside the cloud, but there had been no saving the people in the tower. The cloud had used its built up energy, twisting it into devastation. No longer was it just attempting to absorb minds. Now it was undoubtedly intent on destroying them. Now it was overpowering itself, turning those tentacles into lightning rods of death. It was throwing so much energy into everything it hit it literally shook them apart, be it metal, glass or flesh.

It was evil, destruction incarnate. It had to be stopped.

Thankfully, in putting so much power into its attack it had weakened its defence. With so much energy being put into the tentacles, into its targets, it didn't have as much energy to throw into holding the Justice Leagues' attempts at bay. It took all of them, all of their combined effort, but they had found they could do it.

The combination of everything they were throwing at that tentacle worked. It was halted only fractions away from the city, deflecting away as if from an invisible barrier, whimpering back to the main body of the cloud. But it was halted.

The problem was that the next blast was following only seconds later. Constantly. The Justice League were doing everything they could, stopping every attack that they could, but Superman knew that they weren't _all _fast enough. He might have been able to cover the entire city in the blink of an eye. With the speed of light on there side, GL, Booster and Dr. Light might have been able to do likewise. But they couldn't _all _manage it. One of these times the cloud would be able to strike the city again before the League could stop it. Any moment know, it was almost certain that more people were about to die.

As he sent more heat vision and ice breath at yet another tentacle, Superman was silently cursing the silence over his commlink. He needed to hear from either Fate or Mr. Terrific. He needed to hear that the people who were taken in that cloud were being freed, that they were safe. He needed to hear that Batman, Wonder Woman and all the others were safe. He needed to hear that the magicians had the cloud weakened.

He needed to hear that the time had come when they might actually be able to drive it away.

He needed to hear that the time had come when he could save his city.

But that wasn't what he heard. It wasn't a message from Fate that rang through his ears. Instead it was an altogether different voice, a _very _familiar voice. A very dark voice, a dark voice that it was such a relief to hear alive and well.

"Batman to Superman. Respond. Now!"

"Batman, its Superman! You're all right! Where are you? What's–?"

"There's no time for any of that! Listen to me. You have to stop what you're doing. You have to leave Diana and the rest exactly where they are."

"What?" Superman could hardly believe his ears. "Batman, I don't know what you've heard but that's our only way of stopping this before Metropolis fal–!"

"Dammit, listen! What you're doing won't work in time. We have a better plan. Stop Fate. Now, or Metropolis is doomed. I'm on my way down, I'll explain everything, but you have to trust me. Trust Diana, Flash, J'onn. Shayera. Stop Fate, and we can stop _this_! Superman, stop him now!"

Batman's voice was forceful, determined, without any doubts. He truly believed that what he was saying was right. And no matter where he had just been, Superman was sure that _Batman _would be thinking clearly. That said, Batman was suggesting that they give up what they had been sure was their only hope. He was saying that what they had been fighting for would lose them everything. Superman couldn't believe it. He just couldn't. But he also had trust. He trusted his friends. He trusted Bruce.

It was time for another leap of faith. It was time to show that trust.

"Superman to Dr. Fate," he quickly switched channels. He didn't have to hang up on Batman. Batman had already gone, clearly already convinced that he had done enough with a self-assurance only Batman could have.

"Go ahead Superman," Fate's voice returned, a note of irritation in his usually constantly calm tones. "Please make it quick. I must get back to the enchantments if we're to –"

"I need you to stop, now!" Superman instructed. "There's been some new information. Despite what you think, what we're doing won't work. We have to stop. We have to have faith."

"I'm sorry, I don't understand," Fate was quick to counter. "If we stop now then everything will be doomed! We mu–!"

"Fate, I can't explain now, we just have to stop," Superman answered before Fate could even finish. "I know that you've got Batman clear, but we have to leave Shayera, Wonder Woman, Flash and J'onn where they are. Apparently they have their own plan, a better plan. Apparently _they're _our only real hope. Fate, please. Stop the spells. We have to trustthem."

The line was silent for a while. Then came just a few short words that confirmed Fate had gotten the message, before that line went completely dead. "I hope you know what you're doing."

Needing to help block another attempted strike on the city by the cloud meant Superman couldn't respond aloud, but it did heighten his feelings about what his response would have been.

"_I hope I do too. I hope _Batman _does. I hope this plan of his will work._

"_I hope our friends in the cloud can save us all."_

* * *

><p>This day just kept getting weirder and weirder. The Imperium. She was fighting bloody <em>Imperium <em>again. Shayera knew that the explanations behind thisone would be a corker, but she wasn't sitting around waiting for that. There was a fight to be had, and Shayera Hol was going to have it. Heavens knew she had enough rage built up, courtesy of a certain indecisive ex-marine.

Her mace pounded through another pair of the alien soldiers, smashing them apart into chunks of gloop, though it was gloop that was soon beginning to combine where it fell. At least it was doing until the rapidly moving feet of the Flash sped right through it, his fists crashing through a pair of Imperium soldiers who had been closing in on Shayera's back.

Shayera might not have known what was going on in there, but she still knew that they were vastly outnumbered, to the degree that even with all their abilities and skill they had no right to win this one. By all rights the Imperium should be surrounding the four of them, unleashing the barrages from their weapons, cutting them all down. But the aliens weren't doing that. They couldn't.

Because they could not see. Channels of light had them blinded, separated, making it ever the more possible for Shayera and the Flash to engage the Imperium. Making it ever the more possible for them to win.

With a brief second on her hands, Shayera dared to glance back to where she had joined this party. She didn't need to see the intense concentration on both Wonder Woman and J'onn's faces to understand that somehow the two of them were responsible for the light shield that was giving them such a good chance; the simple fact that the two weren't in the fight proved that. What she didn't understand was the importance of it, _why _they had to stand and fight here, instead of carrying out the plan that Fate had sent her in here to complete. What was it that the guys in here had been up to before she had arrived? Now _that _was a question Shayera really fancied hearing the answer to soon.

But it too would have to wait. She tore her eyes back from her two friends, back onto the search for new targets. In a flicker of motion she was in the air again, mace ready for another devastating blow on these Imperium fiends, regardless of how and why they were here. The rest, whatever it was, she would leave to J'onn and Diana.

There was still a fight to be had, and she would have it.

* * *

><p>Every day her respect for Batman seemed to grow. Every day she got more impressed with how he managed to do what he did without any kind of powers to help him out. Today that was happening more than ever.<p>

Wonder Woman's mind was racing. An epic battle was being waged in there. There was the fight to simply create the light, the shroud that was the key to inspiring the Martians into helping them save the world. J'onn still hadn't given the word. He still hadn't received any signal that the Martians were now willing to help them drown the cloud in the ocean and buy them the time to save the world. Hera, for all Wonder Woman knew they might not have even begun to convince the Martians they didn't need to be afraid any more yet. But this _would _work. She was sure of it. And so she had to make that light, and she had to keep it effective. Everything counted on it.

But that was only half the battle. There was also the fight to keep her mind free of distraction. She was finding out for herself just how much concentration was needed for a single mind to have such an effect on the environment in here, particular one without the strengths of telepathy. Thank Hera she had the goddesses to give her strength and wisdom. She was only just about managing to succeed in giving J'onn enough to work with. The distractions certainly were plentiful. Even the simple urge to join the actual fight needed restraining. The urge to explore that odd connection she felt with Bruce when she had been sure she had felt him awaken took far more effort to keep at bay. No matter what she knew, no matter what Shayera had said, no matter how hard she fought, with all the inexplicable things that were going on, Wonder Woman couldn't help but worry about Batman. Ignoring the chance to put those worries aside was damn near impossible. She didn't know how she managed it.

All she knew was that she had to. The light had to remain in place. She had to give Shayera and Flash the chance to win this. They were certainly doing that, but that meant nothing. Things could change quickly, very quickly. She couldn't allow that to happen. She had to put in place the means to strike fear into the Imperium, the means to inspire the Martians, the means to save the world.

With Batman gone, she had to. However long it took. It was her job. Everything else, no matter how important it was to her, would have to wait.

_Everything_. Even Bruce.

* * *

><p>Despite the unwanted interruption, the plan was back on track. Despite all that was racing through his head, J'onn still had enough spare concentration to recognise that they were still winning. <em>It was working<em>.

That was the message that J'onn made absolutely sure his fellow Martians were hearing. _It was working. The Imperium aren't worth truly fearing if you dare to stand up to them. Dare._

As he knelt there, beside the clearly concentrating Wonder Woman, J'onn kept transmitting that message telepathically. He just hoped that the other Martians were listening.

* * *

><p><em>It was working. The Imperium aren't worth truly fearing if you dare to stand up to them. Dare.<em>

M'vall heard that loud and clear. She didn't need J'onn to repeat it to her. She heard it well enough the first time. All the rest of the Martians around her clearly did too.

She had remained silent still, even as things could well have come undone. Admittedly she had expected all of the groups efforts to fall apart when the Bat Man's mind left the cloud. She had expected that to be the moment when the plan became incomplete, when J'onn and the humans would die. She had expected that to be the moment when the fear of the Imperium that she had felt for centuries would be proven wise.

But it was actually the moment when _she _was proven wrong. When the Wonder Woman took the Bat Man's place, M'vall saw to the full what these people were, _who _they were. She saw their determination to stop the cloud, and she saw that they _could _stop it.

It was the moment when even the strongest of opinions and terrors crumbled. It was the moment when M'vall could suddenly not deny that J'onn J'onzz had been right. It was the moment that she realised that the Martians couldn't hide any more. It was the moment that she realised that the risks to their lives were worth it for what it could mean to _billions _of others.

It was the moment that M'vall M'jolnyk decided to take a stand, the time to test how strong their telepathy made them in this cloud. It was the time for her to try and save this planet by drowning the cloud as J'onn and his friends desired.

And all of the other Martians would be going with her, M'vall had no doubts about that. The Martians, the great pacifists, were going to war.

* * *

><p>Boy there were a lot of these guys. An awful lot. But there was also an awful lot of that light that Wondy was now throwing everywhere.<p>

At the speed that Flash was running, there wasn't time to pick out the gaps in the brightness, and there especially wasn't time to stop and count the bad guys. But he didn't have to. Bats had made his job in all this perfectly clear. He just had to fight the badguys, and thanks to that light, he could do that to his heart's contempt. At the best of times it was ridiculously hard for someone to shoot him. Now that they couldn't even see him to try and aim, it was surely impossible. All Flash had to be aware of was a stray, lucky blast. Keeping his eyes open for any need for a sudden dodge, Flash just kept running.

And kept punching every Imperium that he came close to.

He was the forward battering ram of the fight too. First Wondy and then Shayera were there to keep the light-makers covered, freeing him up to attack full on, particularly as he was so suited to the conditions. Still, Flash wasn't completely unaware of his surroundings. He might not have reacted to it but he had noticed that moment when Bats disappeared and Shayera showed up. It was safe to say that he was wondering what the hell was going on, but he was too busy turning alien soldiers to mulch to ask questions. He just had to get on with it and worry about his friends later, had to trust in them to look after each other while he looked after them all collectively. And so he had just got on with his job, got on with his almost endless fight.

But this time was different. This time he saw far more arrivals, an army of them.

And exactly the arrivals they all needed. The plan wasn't only working, phase one had just been completed.

This Flash had to stop and watch.

* * *

><p>Wonder Woman continued to fight, continued to concentrate hard, continued to make the light. She might not really have been able to see it, but she could certainly hear the sounds of battle, particularly Shayera's ongoing war crys. But none of that broke her vital concentration.<p>

However, the next moment something happened that did. Luckily, it was also something that meant that it didn't matter.

Several times now they had witnessed the Imperium soldier's emerge from nowhere, looking almost as if they had grown from the ground, clearly using the power of the cloud to traverse it at incredible speed. Apparently they weren't the only ones to know how to pull off such a trick.

The Martians knew it too.

They had done it. The cavalry had arrived. And there were a whole lot of them. Nowhere near the numbers of the Imperium, but plenty. And with their telepathic strength, that ought to be enough. Already they were proving their power. Wonder Woman could feel the pressures being taken from her mind. The Martians had taken over making the light, or some of them anyway.

"Quickly," J'onn addressed them as soon as they appeared, leaping upright. Wonder Woman matched the action. Immediately she was at a crossroads. Now that she was no longer needed here mentally, she wanted to go and join Shayera and Flash in the fight, but she also knew that she needed to be here to make sure the Martians did this according to plan. As for J'onn, well he just seemed to be having to fight from showing how glad he was that his people had had a change of heart. "The cloud is attempting to destroy a city of this world, not just absorb it. But the city is beside a vast ocean. If we sink the cloud into that ocean, we will save lives, and drive the Imperium away from _us_. We need to sink the cloud now."

One of the Martians stepped forward, standing directly face to face with J'onn, looking him right in the eye. Clearly this one was the leader. For an unbearable second she just stared at J'onn before speaking blissful words. "We have received your message J'onn J'onzz. We now understand. We are here to help, and we shall follow your lead. Let us save this planet."

At that Wonder Woman – and J'onn too – couldn't help but smile. The plan had worked. Already J'onn and his army of fellow Martians' eyes were beginning to glow in concentration. Already Diana could feel as at least one Martian took over creating the wall of light. More importantly, she could feel the tell-tale signs of the cloud significantly moving. It was working.

And she knew that, just as J'onn had said, the Imperium would be fleeing back to where they had their captive humans stored up as batteries, to focus on trying to use their own combined mental powers to undo what the Martians were doing. With all that light the Imperium couldn't do enough to kill the Martians and stop them that way. They would have to go back to the shadows from whence they came.

_The plan had worked. _Now it was time to watch the fireworks, and maybe create a few more. Wonder Woman took off again, ready to engage the Imperium until they ran, if nothing else than to keep the Martians safe while they – for the moment at least – saved the world.

Nevertheless, even as she acted Wonder Woman's mind now couldn't help but wander. It wandered to Batman, and to his safety following his extraction.

And, at the same time, she wondered what the hell they were going to do next to put a real end to this thing.

* * *

><p>Combined as one solid unit, they were still doing absolutely everything that they could to keep the cloud at bay, but likewise <em>it <em>was doing absolutely everything that it could to claim more lives. Still those destructive tentacles were lashing towards the city, using all sorts of tricks from decoys to pure power to try and get around the Justice League's defensive efforts.

But thankfully none had really managed to get through yet. Thankfully together they were holding this thing off. Thankfully no one else had been killed since the fall of that initial tower.

But despite all his own personal efforts against this thing, GL had still noticed as Superman had been distracted by a call over his communicator. More than that, he had been able to listen in, and he had heard it all.

Initially he had just had to hide his joy at hearing Batman's voice, and it wasn't anything really to do with knowing that his friend was indeed still alive. It was knowing that _Shayera _had made it, knowing that if the magician's had gotten Batman out, then she must have made it safely in. She had made it.

But then he had truly heard Batman's words. He had heard Batman very firmly commanding Superman to stop Fate from extracting anyone else. He had heard Batman essentially consign Shayera, Flash, J'onn, even _Diana _to the prison of that energy cloud. He had heard Batman completely dismiss the only plan that they had been able to come up with to try and end this thing. That certainly got GL wanting to hear what was going on, especially as Superman complied with Batman's request.

Another attempted attack on the city by the cloud had distracted him from all of that. He had to focus on making a shield of green to try and block the tentacle, while Superman and all the rest unleashed their own respective powers in tandem. It was damn close again, too damn close. The tentacle was only a metre or so from smashing into the streets of the city were a convoy of military personnel were rapidly extracting civilians from a nearby building. The Leaguers were almost caught off guard from the cloud's change of tactics, having focussed on the skyscraper's until then, but thankfully these heroes were not stupid, or slow. They made it, just in time.

GL had been the first to react to the change. His mind was ready, focussed, determined to stop this thing. That meant he was concentrating so much on spotting where the next strike would go that it took him a moment to spot that another attack _wasn't _coming. In fact, it was more than that. The cloud wasn't only ceasing to attack, it was retreating again, but not skywards this time.

It was sinking, fast and literally. Rapidly the vast energy dropped, falling lower and lower, but that wasn't something to worry about. It wasn't over the city any more. It was over the _ocean_. It wasn't long before the steam was rising. It wasn't long before the cloud, despite seemingly somewhat fighting itself, began to disappear below the waters.

GL could hardly believe it. Batman had certainly been right when he said they had a plan. This was not the doing of anyone out here. Damn. How the hell had they pulled _that_ off?

GL was only just closing up his low-hung jaw when he heard another call to Superman coming through. It was a few words in before he could draw his eyes off that sinking cloud and onto the Kryptonian to see his reaction.

"Superman – and any other senior Leaguers who ought to listen in – it's Green Arrow. You guys ain't gonna believe this, but _Batman's _just beamed down here. And from the look on his face, I get the feeling he might want to talk with us all. You better not keep him waiting. Especially if I'm not _actually _going crazy like I think I must be – did that thing _really_ just kamikaze into the sea?"

There was plenty of disbelief in Green Arrow's voice. GL was certainly feeling plenty of it himself. His eyes darted back across to the cloud as its last vestiges vanished below the waters. Only when it was gone was he turning back to see Superman respond, silently giving him the eyes that they both needed to get down to Green Arrow's position fast.

They had light at the end of the tunnel, even if the route to it was still unclear. They had a real chance at last. They had to take it.

"Arrow, its Superman. Tell Batman we're on our way. And we're _very _eager to here what on Earth is actually going on here."

* * *

><p><strong><em>AN:_**

**_Kindly review away folks. I do like hearing what you think._**

**_Plenty more of this to come. Stay tuned!_**


	21. Chapter 20: Lighting the Bulb

**Chapter 20: Lighting the Bulb**

The Imperium fled. It was just like when Batman had taken control of the core, or when their leader had died in the physical world. When a battle was lost, their true cowardice showed, at least for the moment. They ran, ran to regroup, ran to think what they needed to do next, and how they could unleash their undoubted power to put an end to the heroes who stood against them, as well as an end to the Earth.

Wonder Woman watched them go, feeling triumphant. They had done it. They had driven the Imeprium off. They had shown the Martians the path to bravery. They had driven the cloud away from the innocent and into the strangling depths of the oceans. More, they had the chance to keep it there, both through the Martians strengths and the drag of the ocean currents holding it back. They had done it.

But they _weren't _done. There was still a long way to go. And they didn't have a guide to show them that way.

Wonder Woman quickly looked around her as she hung in the air. With the Imperium in full flight, the Martians had dropped the shrouding light, no doubt instead focussing on keeping at bay the Imperium's efforts to undo the drowning. That meant she could see everyone clearly. Flash and Shayera stood out starkly against the sands, both relatively distant, both looking around themselves as they came to grips with the situation and the sudden lack of enemies. The Martians, meanwhile, were exactly where Wonder Woman had left them. With no distinctive black shape to draw her to, it was there that Wonder Woman knew she had to be.

Flash and Shayera knew it too. They were both already beginning to make their way over there. Wonder Woman was not about to miss the party herself. They had to figure this out. Drowning the cloud was only ever a means to buy them time. Batman had said exactly that when he had delivered the plan. It was to buy them the time they needed to make a true plan to end this thing. Only Batman wasn't here any more. They no longer had the master strategist at hand, the man who had somehow managed to know the cloud was coming before anyone else, who had figured out what it was before anyone else, and who had gotten them this far in stopping it. He could well still be back active outside the cloud – Wonder Woman prayed to the gods that he was – and working on a plan, but that would do nothing to help those of them already in here to know what to do.

Wonder Woman touched down at J'onn's side only just before Shayera did likewise. Flash, of course, had gotten there first. The vast majority of Martians eyes were still glowing, showing all of the signs that they were still telepathically active. However, J'onn and the apparent leader had ceased their telepathy. Apparently that one was about to act as the spokeswoman for all of her kind for the talk that they all knew would be inevitable now that the cloud was drowned. With the five-being group fully gathered, no time was wasted.

"We have risked our safety to assist you," the long transcended Martian began it all, voice firm. "We have done as you needed in forcing this energy away into the waters of your world, and we shall keep it there as long as we can, but the Imperium are almost certain to eventually find a way to overcome our control. There are too many of them for them not to. But now we must know. What are your intentions now? Your full intentions. Where do we go from here? How do we remain safe? How do we stop the Imperium unleashing their retribution upon us once they find a way to retake control?"

"Woah, hang on a minute!" Shayera declared, butting in. "Before we start getting technical here, someone want to tell me what the hell is going on?"

"I wouldn't mind hearing it again either," Flash muttered after that. "I forgot to take notes the first time. My head's still catching up with me on this one."

"I hope the short version will do then," Wonder Woman told them both. It _was _a rather complex situation after all... "This cloud isn't just energy. It's made up of the minds of the dead."

"We all died while at war with the Imperium," the Martian leader stepped in. "Except it wasn't our end. We transcended, something long believed a myth. With our minds connected at the time, the destruction of our bodies didn't also destroy our minds. Our mental energies left our bodies, becoming this cloud you see today. The problem was the transcendence absorbed the attacking Imperium with us, in the same way that you people have been absorbed. They have been plaguing us for centuries, but when they learned of J'onn's presence here they came after him instead, hoping he could lead them back home to their master. Then they learned that their leader was dead, and decided to go for revenge. We, thanks to your friends here, have decided to stand up and stop them. We now need to know how. Now, is there any more time you wish to waste on stories?"

"Sorry I asked," Shayera muttered under her breath following the Martian's closing outburst.

"What M'vall means to say is that we must get to work again," J'onn stepped in with an explanation, finally giving Wonder Woman a name to put to the other Martian's face.

"So what's the plan then?" Shayera asked, not letting M'vall's ongoing glare being sent her way dim her stubborn questioning. "You guys were clearly already up to something when I got here. How were you intending to stop this if what us outsiders were doing was ineffective enough for us all to have to stay in here?"

"Err... That's kind of a problem," Flash moaned. "Getting _here _was the plan. We're still looking for the 'X' on the map to tell us where to go next, but it's better hidden than Waldo. I don't suppose you've got any ideas?"

An awkward silence descended upon them all at that. Everyone began to look around at each other, as if hoping that one of them would have some kind of inspired notion. But Wonder Woman could instantly tell that the solution would not be instant.

At least not for any of them...

"My people can hold this cloud where it is, but it will not be long before the Imperium rediscover their courage. They _will_ attack us again. Next time we might not be able to hold them off. And by then they may have this cloud out of the waters anyway," M'vall broke the silence at last, stating the facts once more. The others used that as a springboard, essentially using conversation as a means to try and find an end. However, Wonder Woman wasn't really listening.

That feeling was back at the corners of her mind, the oddest sensation of another presence. It was almost like in that moment they were still in that core, still connected. For, in that moment, despite the distance, she could feel Batman's mind again. She could feel him out there. And she could feel him triumphant. It only lasted a moment, but it was long enough to give her all that she needed to know. Long enough to make her smile.

Once again, Batman had a plan.

* * *

><p>Mr. Terrific had been so captivated by the footage of the cloud falling into the oceans that it had taken him several moments to register Batman stood there beside him. Even then, it just threw even more shock his way. Obviously he had not been told that Batman was awake, but Batman didn't care. He didn't say two words to the man. He hardly even glanced at the sensor footage of the falling cloud, although he did allow himself a silent, internal celebration. They had finished it without him. Superman had allowed them to. <em>Diana <em>had done it.

Now they had to figure out what to do next. Now Batman had to make sure that Superman continued to allow Diana and the rest to remain where they were surely still needed, _inside _the cloud. He was convinced that this threat could only be beaten, _truly _beaten from within. He just had to figure out _how _they would do that.

And so he programmed the teleporters, beaming down to Metropolis just as Mr. Terrific managed to recognise he was there. One second he was on the Watchtower, and the next, he wasn't.

Metropolis looked quite different to when he had last seen it. Then it had been picturesque, almost the perfect city. There had been many a time when he had wished that Gotham would look like this place. He dreamed of it, dreamed of the day when Gotham would no longer need him because it was cured of its own dark soul and could become another beacon of light. Because of that, Metropolis had always been a beacon of hope for him.

A very distant beacon.

But it didn't look that inspiring right now. It looked..._broken_. It felt like he could hear the screams and yells from miles away as people desperately tried to get out of there, and he didn't blame them. It was abundantly clear that the efforts of Superman and the rest hadn't been enough. It was clearer that the members of the Justice League on the inside hadn't been quick enough to stop the cloud's assault. _He _hadn't been quick enough. And now the towers were falling, and people had died.

And it wasn't over yet. Not by a long shot.

He had beamed down right into the hub of activity, the heart of the populations' efforts to save itself. The military were hard at work, rushing all around him, getting their fellows out in the city organised to get civilians clear. But that didn't stop them all from looking his way as they darted past, from casting him a second glance in surprise. It wasn't everyday they got to see the legendary Batman – he was hardly the public figure the rest of the Justice League were. But now he was right in their midst, right there, when it must have seemed to them almost like the world was ending.

But Batman didn't look at them once, let alone twice. He had spotted straight away where he had to get to. The bright green of the man's outfit stood out strong against the militaristic backdrop, stood beside a man Batman recognised from one of his many files to be General Felix Mulligan, an old warhorse if ever there was one. Batman was quickly marching over to join them, straight through the middle of all the soldiers. Arrow spotted him long before he got there. Reading the man's lips, Batman could see him informing Superman of his arrival. Good. This way Kent and whoever else wanted in on the picture would get there about as fast as he would.

Indeed, the red and blue blur touched down beside Green Arrow just as Batman drew alongside. The green aura of GL soon followed and, across the way, Batman could see as both Dr. Fate and Zatanna came hurrying over to join in too. Of course, he had to get through the usual greetings first. The others were always far too casual, far too unnecessarily compassionate with their displays of affection. But he knew that those weren't things that were about to change. He just had to make sure they lasted for as minimal a time as possible.

"Batman!" Superman pretty much screamed his name, not even attempting to hide his relief at seeing his friend again. No doubt there had been a time when Kent and the rest had thought that he, Diana and the others where lost for good, particularly when the cloud first took them. Seeing him here again, in one piece, would have put those fears completely to bed, and fully brought out the boy scout in him. Thankfully the Kryptonian managed to hold back the hug this time. "Are we glad to see you!"

"I'll say!" Zatanna declared as she and Fate finally drew close. She certainly seemed happy to see him back too. Luckily, at least one of the bunch understood how much of a hurry they were in.

"The legendary Batman, eh? I expected you to be taller," General Mulligan muttered before the next of the heroes could get in. "Look, with all due respect, what the hell is going on? I figure you've been up to something. We were about to destroy that thing until it turned into your sign! You could have cost us a whole lot of lives with that manoeuvre!"

"That _saved _lives, Mulligan," Batman countered with a growl, startling Mulligan by showing how he knew the man already. "I don't know how much _you_ know, but that cloud contains the minds of hundreds if not thousands of people. Your plan to just destroy it would kill about as many as it would save. As for _your _plan–" Batman turned to Superman and Fate at that "–it won't work either. Those people in the cloud are not alone."

"Not alone?" GL repeated the words, clearly shocked by them. "Who else is up there? What the hell is that thing?"

Batman turned to face him directly, despite his words being meant for all of them. It didn't matter that he hadn't been around for the last eight months. It was clear that Lantern was worrying about Shayera now that she was in there too.

"It's an entity formed from the linked consciousness of dying Martians, Martians who are still in there right now long after their bodies expired. There's an entire species in there that we can bring back from virtual extinction. But when the cloud was formed many Imperium soldiers were absorbed into it as the people around here were. A lot of them. Those Imperium had control of the cloud. They came here looking for their leader, the one we destroyed years ago. Now that they've learned what happened, they're angry, and they're coming for revenge."

"You're not filling me with confidence son..." Mulligan muttered, shaking his head.

"I must admit I'm waiting to hear the upside myself," Superman concurred. Batman glared at him, making even the Earth's mightiest hero tremble slightly over his next words. "Batman, you said you had a plan?"

"We _took_ control," Batman simply answered, still growling but his voice level. "We got the Martians on side. We used their telepathy to move the cloud while the Imperium were distracted attacking the city. We moved the cloud out of play, away from the city, somewhere where it will take the Imperium time to extract it. We bought us all time to come up with a _proper _plan, one that won't get every innocent within it killed. I won't abandon our people _or _those Martians to death, not while there's any chance."

"So what _is _that plan?" Mulligan pressed. "You've prevented us from carrying out any of _our _plans, for a bunch of aliens who you suggested just moments ago were dead already. So what's _your_ idea, if its so much better? How are you going to get the people of this city, the people _still in this city_, out of this safely? Hmm?"

Mulligan had Batman there. They didn't have that plan yet. They hadn't had time to come up with one. Shayera had interrupted everything first. That meant he could do nothing but stare at Mulligan. The General, however, did not react well to that.

"You don't have one do you?" Mulligan uttered, impatience lining his every tone. "This is a waste of time. You people call yourself heroes. Well start acting like it. All you've done is save the very thing that is trying to kill our own. Call me when you have something useful to do."

With that the General turned and stormed away, marching back off to his command bunker. The man clearly wasn't happy, but was just as clearly desperate. That immediately made Batman begin to feel suspicious, suspicious of what that would make the military man do to achieve his goals here. Unfortunately, there wasn't time to truly begin to assess those suspicions.

"Well _that _went well," Green Arrow muttered once the General was out of earshot. "I'll try and cool him off when we're done here, but seriously Bats. _Don't _you have a plan?"

"Getting the cloud away from the city _was _the plan," Batman snarled, letting a bit more of his own eternal rage out as a means of telling the rest not to bother questioning him any more. "Finding a way to extract both the humans and the Martians in there, _without_ just setting the cloud loose in Imperium control, isn't going to be as easy as you might think. We needed time to figure out how to do that, time where we weren't having to fight the Imperium to save the people of this city. Drowning the cloud has given us that time."

"Well I can categorically state now that what we were doing before will not work now, not for all," Dr. Fate stepped in. "Unless you know of a place where these Martians' bodies still exist, we cannot extract them from that cloud without losing their minds to oblivion."

"There bodies are long gone," Batman informed them all again. They were all looking at him eagerly, despite all that he had already said. So many times in the past he had come up with the plan that had saved the world, despite all the others having all the powers. Unfortunately, this time he had nothing, and not for the lack of trying. His lack of words spoke volumes.

"Just to bring you up to speed then," Green Lantern began. He seemed more desperate to get on with this than any of the others. Batman could even see his palms sweating. It made him begin to wonder _exactly _what the situation was between GL and Shayera. Only _begin_ to wonder though. It could _definitely _wait. "Nothing we've tried out here would be remotely useful. The only thing we've found that'll do anything other than keep that energy back destroyed an entire limb of that cloud and got people killed. Not particularly helpful."

"What about the others?" Superman clutched at straws, clearly not expecting to come up with anything himself. "Diana, J'onn, Flash, even Shayera before you were gone. Had any of them got anything before Fate got you out of there? Had they even got a start of anything that'd work? A notion? Even if it was just something that seemed ridiculous at the time?"

Batman thought back before answering. There was a point there. There had been developments. Things did change. Unfortunately nothing was springing to mind. He and Wonder Woman had been practically side by side from the moment they had all entered the cloud. Closer even, for that moment when their memories had been linked for a while by the cloud's central core. Not only that, but he remembered it all vividly. There was nothing there. Nothing he had heard from J'onn was particularly key right now either. Shayera hadn''t had time to say anything at all. And as for Flash, he was too busy making stupid jokes and movie references.

_Movie references... _

That was it. Yes, there had been the instincts to avoid it, but those instincts were wrong. It was the only way.

His face must have given it away. He was certainly feeling far more optimistic, triumphant even. It must have shown.

"What?" GL pressed. "What is it?"

"Can you send me back in the same way you brought me out?" Batman addressed Dr. Fate first. It was the one thing he still had to question, the one thing left to complete the plan that had rapidly formed in his head. The pressures down there in the depths of the ocean would be great, and that was without mentioning how he would get _out _of the waters if he went in that way. But he needed a way in, a way _back _in. "Can you put my consciousness back in the energy without me having to travel deep into the ocean to get in the old fashioned way?"

Even behind his mask, Batman could tell that Fate was looking at him quizzically. After all, all the rest of the gathering were doing, as if he had just said something completely crazy.

"Now that Shayera is in place as a link to that location, it should be possible," Fate replied. "The energy of the cloud seems capable of sustaining a human consciousness, though I cannot say for sure. There will be great risk involved."

"It'll be worth it," Batman simply answered, before turning to the group as a whole. It was time to deliver the plan. "I know how we work this. The precise details will take too long to explain and simply put you don't need to know them. But in short, I just figured out how to turn the cloud from a weapon into a cage. I know how to entrap the Imperium and make sure that the thing can never do any damage ever again. And I know how to get the Martians out of there. But to do it, I need to go back in. Alone."

"Why alone?" Superman quickly interrupted there. Predictable. Especially after Batman's last mission as an official part of the Justice League. "Batman, we can help! Just tell us how. You don't have to take on all the risks alone."

"I need to go alone because the rest of you will still be needed out here," Batman firmly responded, eyes now focussed on Kent as if to dare him to question the plan again. The Kryptonian kept quiet, listening this time. "To pull off what I've got in mind we'll need a form of control over the cloud. To ensure that we get that, we need the Imperium distracted again. That means we have to let them attack the city once more."

"You what?" Green Arrow was the first to blurt out there.

"Batman, you can't–!" Superman began to complain too, but now it was Batman's turn to interrupt.

"_That's _why I need you people to stay out here, to keep the people safe while the military continue to evacuate. Superman, Lantern you two need to keep working with those in the League who can fly to hold it at bay. Arrow, you need to keep liaising with the military, try to help them keep the cloud pushed towards the zones that are already evacuated. Once I'm back in the cloud I'll try to buy you as much time as I can, but the Imperium won't be waiting. They'll be attempting to attack anyway. By letting them we might just catch them more off guard and bring an end to this. Just make sure they can't take more lives than we can rescue. And as for the League magicians, you'll be needed too. Flash and Shayera will be attempting to free the citizens the cloud has taken. You need to get all of them out when they do, Flash and Shayera too."

"And you?" Zatanna asked without waiting for Batman to catch a breath. "Where will you be in all of this? And Wonder Woman and J'onn too. And the Martians at that. Where will you all be? How will you get out of there?"

Batman turned to look at her then. Zatanna had been close to him for longer than any one else in the Justice League. More than for the rest of them, he felt the need to explain to her, to make sure she understood that he was planning that they all made it through this, himself included.

"When we've taken the Imperium out of play we'll be able to make our own way out," he assured her, even slightly reducing the anger in his growl. "The power of the cloud is strong. By then we'll have control of it. Full control. We'll be able to reverse the process that put us in there originally. Don't worry about us. But we'll have to take care of the Imperium first. And save the Martians. So we'll need you all to keep buying us time."

"Well I'm telling you now, ol' Mulligan isn't gonna like this one jot," Arrow commented, scratching his head. "We'll be deliberately putting folks at risk. I can't say I'm too happy about that myself."

"Got any better ideas?" Lantern quickly turned on him, clearly defending Batman's plan already. Hearing that this could not only save many but also get Shayera out of the cloud quickly and alive must have been enough to convince him.

"That's where you've got me," Arrow shrugged. "Fine, then. Let's do it. But you better not have chosen the worst time ever to start being wrong Bats."

"Then in the complete absence of any other genuine option, lets give this a try," Superman summed up, acting like the chairman of the board, particularly since the entire League did look up to him as their leader. Batman found that fact almost amusing. He definitely respected Kent. He was inspirational, a great figurehead and a genuinely good person. But in times of crisis, _true _crisis, it was always Batman people ultimately turned to to lead them. Kent included.

"Allow us just a few minutes to prepare for the spell," Fate stepped in, referring to both himself and Zatanna. "We need to bring the other magicians up to speed so they can help us to safely transport you back to where you need to be."

"And I'll need the time to cool the General off before telling him about this," Green Arrow piped up. "Better wait until you're gone before I tell him too. I get the feeling he might try and gun you down otherwise."

"Then go get to it," Batman ordered all three of them. "Do it now. I want to be ready to go as soon as you're prepped."

"See you in sec, then," Zatanna muttered, before she turned and slunk away. Even as she did so, though, she kept her eyes on him. Fate and Arrow were trailing off with her straight away, ready to do their jobs in all of this. Batman waited for them to be out of earshot before going further.

He could tell that Green Lantern and Superman were both watching him closely. He could also tell that they weren't the only ones. There was another set of eyes on him, eyes that didn't even belong to the military. Eyes that were those of a certain feisty reporter. Lois was here. She was off in the distance but she was here, keeping tabs on everything just as any top reporter would. Good. That meant the Imperium hadn't got her too.

"Bruce," Superman said his true name, whispering it to make absolutely sure that no one else could overhear. "Just tell me one thing. Tell me you know what you're doing."

"Don't I always?" Batman growled in reply. "Kent, there's no time for your usual sentimental antics. Just do your job. But you might want to get her out of here first. I'd hate for you to have to save her life yet _another _time, especially when we might need you elsewhere."

"What–?" Superman began again to ask. Batman could guess that the other words would have been '_are you talking about'_. However, following Batman's line of sight to her, Superman realised on his own.

"Get her clear of here, Kent," Batman growled in response, about as politely as he could muster while in the full Batsuit. "And you might want to consider showing her your glasses while you're at it."

Batman didn't wait for Superman to react to that one. Hell, Superman seemed to be taking his time figuring out _how_ to react. He was left almost dumbfounded on the spot while Batman marched away in pursuit of Zatanna and Dr. Fate. It wouldn't be long until the Man of Steel was in motion, but Batman knew him well enough to understand that when he did, it would be Lois he headed for, not him. He also felt damn sure that those glasses would be staying away, despite his momentary slip into some sentimentality of his own. An unfortunate side affect of recent..._changes _in his life.

"How are they doing in there? How... How's Shayera doing?"

Green Lantern hadn't been left frozen. He was hot on Batman's heels, so hot that he almost walked straight into him when Batman stopped to address him. He could sense all of the worry in his ally's voice, worry for the woman he loved, no matter how much he admitted that fact. It was the kind of worry Batman completely understood. Courtesy of his knowledge and training, he was just better at hiding his own.

But he understood all too well how distracting such issues could be. They could never be completely nipped in the bud – if they could be then Batman would have done so long ago instead of having to give in to his buried heart.

But he could try to assuage those worries for a while. For both

"John, they're fine. They were _all _fine when I left. They're strong, don't forget that. Shayera, and 're stronger than we can ever truly realise. They _will_ all make it out of there, those two definitely included. We can make sure of it. You have to focus. And have faith that they can look after themselves."

Green Lantern actually laughed at that. Batman had not seen that coming. "When did _you _suddenly become so trusting? Last time I saw you you went all out against us all to keep Diana away from danger, and now you're the one telling _me _to be trusting! It's..._refreshing _to see."

"Eight months is a _long _time to change," Batman replied. "Trust her John. Trust yourself. We only have our choices. There's no such thing as destiny. And making it your cage is never a good idea."

No doubt in a minute he too would be on task, heading off to Captain Atom and the rest to deliver the plan. But for now it was GL's turn to freeze, stunned still by what Batman had just said. For the second time in a minute Batman had just delivered an important personal message to one of his allies. _He _had just issued relationship advice. Damn that felt strange. Diana really was changing him.

But before he could even think any more about that, he had to save her. He had to save them all. The world was in his hands still, but thankfully he now had his plan. It was time to go to war.

He just had to reach the battleground where it was to be fought.

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN:**_

_**Review away friends. No such thing as too much feedback! **_


	22. Chapter 21: Lines in the Sand

**Chapter 21: Lines in the Sand**

"You do know that I'd be macing the hell out of any other guy if they pulled a stunt like this, right?"

They were flying quickly away from Metropolis, heading deep inland and away from the danger zone. It had taken him several moments before he had reacted. By the time he had, Green Lantern had already set off to get Captain Atom and the rest organised, Green Arrow was already back working with General Mulligan and Batman was over with the League magicians, preparing for his return into the very thing they were having to fight. But as for himself, he had needed the time that was available to him, needed the time to decide. Batman of all people had just told him to show Lois who he really was, to give up to her his greatest secret, despite all the possible ramifications of such an act. The fact that it was _Bruce _saying that it was the right thing to do had meant that Superman found the choice very difficult to cast aside as he had done so many times before. It meant that, even in the heat of all that was happening around them, Superman felt he had a decision to make.

But there was another thing Batman said that Superman realised he didn't have to mull over. Yes, Lois would want to stay in the city. She'd want to be there first hand, to both share in the risk with him and to get the prime view of what was one hell of a story unfolding in front of them all. But, identity revealed or not, Superman had to get Lois out of there now that he had the chance to. The entire city was in danger, and while Superman would get everyone out if he could, Lois would always come first to him. She was his world. Without her, he was nothing.

That was why he had quite literally swept her off of her feet, and was flying her fast away from Metropolis. However, his glasses had stayed securely out of sight. He knew that telling Lois was the right thing to do in so many ways. He knew without a shadow of a doubt that he could trust Lois with this. He was just too afraid of what it could mean, of the possible dangers to her that would come from knowing who Superman was. Heck, Lois was in danger often enough already. Superman just couldn't bear to risk putting her in even more, no matter how _potential_ it was. She meant too much to him. Far too much.

"Sorry, Lois. I'll give you an exclusive when this thing is over to make it up to you," Superman spoke to the woman hung lithely in his arms. They hadn't been flying for too long, but Superman was already starting to feel that maybe it was time for him to drop Lois off and turn back. He wasn't exactly slow in his travelling after all, not when he wanted to shift. Lois ought to be safe around here. _Ought to be_. So long as Bruce's plan paid off. "That cloud is about to attack the city again. We can't stop that happening, but we do have a plan to stop it for good once it gets there. But I had to be sure that you're safe."

"Always got to be the hero, don't you?" Lois commented, but she said so with a smile, looking him right in the eyes.

"As long as people need me," Superman replied, giving her a smile in return. But that was his signal that it was time to set her down, time for him to return to Metropolis. He couldn't afford to get lost in talking to Lois like this. Things would be happening quickly, and no one could afford for him to show up late.

Almost as suddenly as he had her off of her feet and a long way up into the sky, Superman was back down to Earth, setting Lois down with great care and ease. He didn't know exactly where he had wound up, nor did he pause to check exactly where it was beyond the fact that there was clearly a small town nearby where Lois would find shelter and the ability to contact him if and when she needed to.

"Lois, I..." he began to say, but his words faltered around him. His mouth had been faster than his brain just then. He had almost let it slip. He had almost told her who he was, in the real world, beyond the cape. But then his brain had caught up, his inhibitions had caught up, and his words had faltered. Lois could see he was struggling, even if she couldn't know why. She took her chance to soothe him. She kissed him, softly but full of quiet passion.

"You'll be fine," she whispered to him, clearly intending to help motivate him, help him get back up into the mood for the battle she knew he was about to face. It seemed she thought he was almost trying to say goodbye, like he had been thinking that he wouldn't ever see her again. How wrong she was. "I'll be fine. Just go get 'em."

Once again, Superman didn't know what to say. Instead he acted. This time he kissed her, deeper than the one just moments before. When the kiss was over, there was a brief moment when the two lovers looked deep into each others eyes, a moment of a million silent words.

And then Superman was gone, back up into the skies, heading straight back to his fellow heroes at ground zero.

With the words he was debating over still left unsaid.

* * *

><p>Lois had meant what she had said. If anyone else had taken her away against her will, she would be mighty pissed. But this was different. She could tell that Superman needed this, and because of that she would accept being taken away from the best story she had had all week, heck the best one she'd had all <em>year<em>. For him, she could accept this.

Especially as his subconscious had gotten the better of him, and told her the one thing that he had been unable to bring himself to say for so very long. Lois looked out across the landscape, at the sign depicting the name of the town where he had just dropped her off. She couldn't help but smile as she read it.

_Smallville_.

* * *

><p>It wasn't long until Bruce had come to join them. They were still preparing themselves, or the rest of them still were anyway. Zatanna was more than ready. She knew the stakes. And she knew Bruce<em>. <em>

That was why she intercepted him before he arrived at the wider group, dragging him off to one side. At first he had stubbornly held his ground, glaring at her as if to scare her into getting out of his way. Lucky for her, she knew how to find her way past the bat to the man underneath.

"Br... _Batman_. I need to talk. Just for a minute, I promise. While Fate gets the others ready."

"Make it quick. We haven't much time."

Zatanna sighed, looking up into that cowl. "Batman, I know who you are, I know how you think. No one sees you for eight months and then all this starts going down, including your little trip away from your own _body_! And then you come down here and... Well, the others might not see it, but it all seems so personal to you. Before you go back in there, is there anything you need to talk about? Anything at all?"

"No. Is that all?" His answer was immediate, predictable. He continued to just stare down at her through those white lenses. Zatanna just stared straight back through them.

"Are you sure about that? Come on, Batman. If you're going in there again we both owe it to the world to make sure you're ready for it. I know that you're not exactly all about sharing, but now might be a good time to give it a try."

But Bruce didn't answer her. He didn't even move. He just continued to stand and stare. But that was enough. Despite him giving nothing away, Zatanna figured it out. She had guessed the pieces once before. Now they were falling ever more into place.

"Its Diana isn't it? It's all right, I won't make you say it. I know you don't want to show off the fact that you actually have a heart under all those layers. Just tell me this, is something wrong? Is she all right?"

"She's fine," Batman answered, but his voice had suddenly softened, becoming barely a whisper. "But the plan will put both her and myself in great risk. Unfortunately, there's no other way."

Zatanna felt the smile creep over her face, a smile of relief. She had the ultimate faith in Bruce. He wouldn't fail.

"You'll be fine," she returned, matching his latest tone and low volume. If nothing else, it meant that she could get away with saying his name. "You _both_ will be. Wonder Woman can definitely look out for herself. And you and Diana... You're a great team, Bruce. You work great _together_. Between you you've got a great balance of similarities and differences, of strengths, of darkness and light. I'm... I'm happy for you Bruce. Really I am. And besides, you've both now got an extra thing worth fighting for. There's no way either of you will give _that _up any time soon."

She had not planned to offer up a speech, it had just sort of tumbled out of her. It must have been a side affect of her closeness to one of the most closed off, yet caring men the world had ever seen. Hell, there had been a time when she had truly _loved _Bruce Wayne, adored the very ground he walked on, even if he hadn't returned that sentiment. These days their relationship was strictly platonic, both ways, but she still loved him. She was just glad that he seemed to have opened up to _someone_. She was glad he and Diana had found each other. She couldn't stay silent about that.

"Are you done now?" Once again Bruce responded in such typical Batman style. The mission always came first. But yet, he had said it with a faint grin of his own, and despite the lack of words to say it, Zatanna got the message loud a clear. _Thank you._

"Batman, Zatanna," a distant voice calmly called out to them. She quickly recognised it as Doctor Fate's. "We are ready. It is time to begin."

Batman immediately made to move off, as if the talk with Zatanna was already done. Zatanna, however, needed just another few seconds. She needed to finish this off. She softly grabbed his arm before he could walk away.

"I'll see you when you've saved everyone, Bruce. I'll see _both _of you."

Once again there was a soft smile offered her way, but subtle enough so that she alone could see it. A faint nod even accompanied it, but that was all Zatanna got in way of a response. It was a good job that that was all that she needed.

There was no holding him back any more. Even if she had used all of her powers to try and make it happen, Zatanna seriously doubted she would have managed it against all of his indomitable will. Instead she would just use her powers for a different purpose, the purpose Bruce wanted her to use them for. She quickly joined him in wandering back the short way over to the ring Fate and the other magician's had formed, ready to work their magic.

It was time to send Batman back into the cloud. It was time to send him back to Diana.

* * *

><p>She had detected Batman's sense of triumph several moments ago, but nothing had happened since then. The others were still debating, still arguing and discussing away to try and figure out how they could stop the Imperium and the threat they held via the energy cloud that the vast majority of the Martians were still working to hold in the waters. Wonder Woman was hardly listening to them though. She knew that Batman had a plan, and she knew that, <em>somehow<em>, he would be telling them all their part of it. She couldn't explain it, but she just _knew_. That was why she couldn't join the discussions. She was too busy watching and listening for when that sign would come.

She just wasn't expecting it come in the way that it did.

"All this is getting us no-where!" M'vall was arguing. "We need ideas, not nonsense! The Imperium wont be wasting time like this, we shouldn't be doing either!"

"This _nonsense_ is how I get to ideas..." Flash muttered in the background.

"If we can't work together perhaps we should split up to come up with a plan," Shayera suggested, sounding rather fed up.

"That might not be a bad idea," J'onn concurred. "But M'vall is right, we must hurry."

"Fine, but I go with Shay or Wondy!" Flash leapt in. "I need my gibberish to start the ideas flowing..."

"They already have."

Hope instantly flowed. That voice was instantly recognisable. It was Batman's voice. But that wasn't all. As soon as she had heard it, Wonder Woman was sure that he had somehow found a way to communicate with them from the outside, some enhancement to his comm or something. He had done so many remarkable acts before after all. But she was wrong. He wasn't outside the cloud.

He was _here_. He was back.

"Batman!" Wonder Woman couldn't hold back the shout as the black clad man stepped into the heart of the group. Everyone flinched at the site of him suddenly appearing amongst them – except for all those Martians' whose minds were busy elsewhere. Flash even jumped so far back in surprise that he had to run back forward again. As for Diana, she only just prevented herself from flinging her arms back around him.

Batman surveyed the group. He looked at them all in turn, taking it all in. If Wonder Woman didn't know him so well she would probably have missed the pride that crept over his face as he saw them with the Martians, side by side, _without fear_. Hera, Diana even thought she saw him offer her a special glance of satisfaction. A rare honour indeed from the Batman in the middle of a battle.

"Batman? Not that I'm not glad to see you, but what are _you _doing here?" Shayera blurted out. "I thought Fate got you clear?"

"And then he sent me back," Batman growled, turning his attention to her. It was immediately clear that he meant business. As ever with him, there was no time for pleasantries. Right now, Wonder Woman didn't care. "All of you listen up, and listen closely. Its time we drew a line in the sand. There won't be time to do this twice."

"You've got a plan, don't you?" Flash asked the question he clearly seemed to know the answer to. He sounded particularly giddy already. "What is it, giant bellows? Some specialised Bat-tank? Proton packs? How do you always do it?"

"I didn't. _You_ did. We cross the streams."

Wonder Woman had thought there had been surprise in the group when Batman had re-appeared. Now, just seconds later, there truly _was _shock.

"Me...? I did–? You what?" Flash spluttered around, failing to come up with a sentence.

"_Cross the streams?_" Shayera repeated the words, utterly confused.

"What _is_ he talking about?" M'vall queried too, addressing her question to J'onn since he was the one she clearly trusted most, if not the only one she really trusted.

As for Wonder Woman, it only took her a second to begin to understand. She was the one who had been there with Batman after all. She was the one who had felt the effects, had felt what that thing could do. And she was the one who knew how dangerous it could be, and how much every part of her had wanted to get clear of it and not go back. It wasn't a matter of bravery. It was an instinct, a base reaction to what had so nearly happened. That was not a good place to be, even for the a super-powered warrior princess who would face any fight head on without hesitation.

But, for the people's safety, Wonder Woman knew that instincts could be kept at bay. She knew that whatever Batman said next, whatever the plan was, she would not shirk away from it. Not if it was what needed to be done. Even if they had to _cross the streams_.

"While I was there, the people outside the cloud asked if any of you had ideas on how to beat this thing," Batman began his explanation, talking over all the shocked mutterings and getting every set of eyes drawn back onto him. In particular, he seemed to be addressing Wally. "That's when I remembered what you said. Your references to old movies after we first faced the Imperium in here. Stupid, unwarranted comments. But also ones that lead me to exactly the plan we need."

"So... I'm a genius then?" Wally responded, a massive grin spreading over his face. Wonder Woman couldn't help but smile slightly for him, despite knowing what was coming next.

"Don't push it," Batman quickly put him in his place, swiping that grin straight from him. "The point is, I know how we stop this so that _everyone _makes it out alive. _Completely _alive."

"Batman, wait," J'onn interrupted. He sounded almost excited all of a sudden, anticipation hitting him. "Are you meaning that–?"

"I am," Batman responded in kind. "If we pull this off, not only should we be able to keep the Imperium powerless for as long as this cloud will last, but we should also be able to get all the Metropolis citizens _and _the Martians out of here. Alive. _Physically _alive."

"_Us?_" M'vall's shock had just got even more evident than ever. "I don't understand. Our bodies are long since destroyed. There's no place for our minds to go."

"The key to the entire plan is having control," Batman began, clearly giving the full explanation he had been planning from the start. M'vall would apparently have to wait for her answer. From the look on her face she didn't like that very much, but even she wasn't about to interrupt a very forceful sounding Batman. "There are two things we need to do; strip the Imperium of any that they possess, and take more for ourselves. Its the only way to ensure the right people go free, and the wrong ones aren't a danger to anyone any more. To pull that off, no amount of telepaths would be enough, no matter their strength. Once more we need to turn the cloud to our advantage."

"But _how_ do we–?" Shayera began to ask a question. Batman gave a glare bad enough that it was the signal to all of them not to interrupt again. Even the confrontational Shayera backed off. Batman immediately resumed, voice even more forceful than before. He resumed with the words Wonder Woman had expected, but hadn't really wanted to hear.

"We use the core of the cloud, just like we did during its first attack on the city. Only this time we go further, deeper. The core is the remnants of the Transcended, left behind when the cloud was created. Its through a mental connection to it that the cloud is moved, that the environment in here is changed. But controlling the core is difficult. We know telepathy increases access to it, but not by enough for what we need. More access than that is needed. We need complete mental integration. We need to merge minds with the core. We need to _cross the streams_.

"When Wonder Woman and I touched it before to access its power, we could feel that process beginning. The energies of that core are as lost as the Imperium. Its the body without the mind, and it'll take whatever mind it can get to guide it. The problem is there's far too much energy there for one mind to handle, even mine. If a lone person tried to take full control of the core, it would cause a complete shut-down of all mental pathways. It would be instant death. But two people, two minds, that would be enough. Two minds, together, spreading the load, would be able cope with the power they would have at their disposal. They wouldn't even have to stay in physical connection with it since it was borne of telepaths. And that's what we're going to do.

"So listen up. Here's the plan. Wonder Woman and I will be the ones to join with the core. The blending will be phase one. During this the rest of you will need to keep us guarded should the Imperium realise what we're up to and attempt to stop us. Throughout all this, it will be vital that they're distracted. Even with our minds linked completely to the core, that won't deny the Imperium access to it as well. They won't face a change. We will just have more power than them. If we give them the opportunity to, they will try to stop us, however they can. They will try to kill us, with all of their power if we let them. We can't afford to take the risk of them succeeding, of them gaining sole control of this cloud. That's why we need to keep them distracted. That's why we need to let them raise the cloud.

"In attacking the city again, the Imperium's focus should be elsewhere for long enough for us to do what must be done. Superman and the rest will be doing everything to protect the people out there, but we have to help too. That's why we won't wait before beginning phase two.

"Here we need to split up. Flash, Shayera, your job will be retrieval. You need to infiltrate wherever the Imperium are holed up in here. Make us much noise as you possibly can to keep them occupied, but the key is to find all the people they took from Metropolis. Shayera, Dr. Fate is waiting for you to find them. As soon as you do, he will begin extracting them, and the two of you. Once you're all clear, the Imperium's control of the cloud will be weaker. The city should be safer.

"But we can't end it there. Because it will take all of our focus to get the Martians out of here, even with the core access, we'll need to make sure the Imperium cannot interfere. We'll need to make sure its safe for us to drop our guard. That's where J'onn and the other Martians come in. You need to use your ability to change the environment here, and hold it as long as you can. You need to make a cage that will keep the Imperium at bay, by both telepathically blocking their control of the cloud and with an old fashioned prison. Diana and I will try to help, but as our focus will be needed elsewhere when it comes time to extract them from the cloud, the Martians need to take on the brunt of the load. If any Imperium breakaway to try and stop them, then Diana and I step in and engage them. Between us, with the control of the cloud, we should be able to handle it, any numbers that they throw at us. The rest of you will need to focus on your own tasks if we want this to work.

"And then Diana and I can finally end this. The central core contains a physical presence, made from your old bodies from when you Transcended. With the control Wonder Woman and I will have, we'll be able to control that too. We'll be able to shape it and mould it into whatever we want. We'll be able to turn it _back _into your original bodies. And then we'll be able to put your minds back into them, _out _of the cloud, using a process that's the exact reverse of how we were absorbed in the first place. Wonder Woman and I will evacuate the same way, before the power of the core leaves us once the core has been taken apart piece by piece. We'll be able to make it out, all of us, and what's more the Imperium will never be able to hurt anyone ever again. With the core removed to recreate the Martian forms, there will be nothing for the Imperium to link to, nothing for them to use to have any control of all of this. The energies will remain, as will they, but there will be nothing for them to do but _exist _in it. This won't be a weapon any more. It will be a prison.

"And then, with them trapped, we'll _all_ be free."

"Wow. I _am _a genius." Typically, Flash was the first to react. He was looking mighty pleased with himself, albeit a little confused. The fact that he wasn't asking questions, though, meant he had clearly understood at least _his _part of the plan well enough. He and Shayera were getting the Metropolis people out. That was all he needed to understand, and he seemed to be accepting that.

"That... that's amazing." That was Shayera's reaction. It was certainly one that Wonder Woman felt like sharing. Both women were fairly dumbfounded by it all, amazed. How? _How _had he figured all of _that _out? Even for a mind like his, even with a track record like his, coming up with a plan that detailed without _knowing _the details was just remarkable. It was just so..._Batman_.

But Wonder Woman was feeling more than just amazement at Batman managing to come up with such an epic plan. There had been so much to what she'd heard in the last few minutes that she was still taking it all in. She had guessed correctly. They were going back into the cloud's core. What she hadn't figured, though, was exactly how far in they were going. She and Bruce were going to merge with it all the way, to let it merge with their minds. And exactly what _that _could mean... Well, that was a question that she had to confirm with Bruce one-to-one. No doubt that was coming. She could tell just from a glance at Bruce that he was just waiting for the moment when that could happen.

But there were other issues that needed clearing up first, issues that were far wider ranging and would affect a wider array of beings. The Martians were coming back to life. A race that was one male away from extinction were about to be reborn by the exact same plan that would keep the human race alive. That alone made whatever risks were involved worth it. That alone made Diana very excited.

However, she certainly couldn't match the levels of J'onn and M'vall.

"We can _live _again?" M'vall was barely able to breathe. Her jaw was practically on the floor, her mouth was so far open in ecstatic shock. "All of us? _With actual bodies_?"

J'onn spoke up before Batman could. "Indeed. Indeed that is what is being suggested. M'vall, this will be dangerous and I know that you've had issues trusting us to keep you safe, but we have to work toge–"

"Stop right there, J'onn," M'vall interrupted. "We have accepted the dangers simply by coming this far. If this plan will work as your Bat Man has said, if it can save us all, then we must try it. The risks will be great to us all, but we must. You will just have to share your experiences with us to keep us all safe."

"So... Well, there's nothing else we really need to ask then, is there? You've got the bases pretty covered, as usual, Batman," Shayera stepped in. It was clear that the M'vall could have stopped and celebrated all day if she hadn't interrupted. Wonder Woman couldn't blame the Martian, but time was still an issue, and that could wait. "If we're gonna get killed doing this, we may as well do it quick. And if we're gonna make it, I don't want to stay here a second more than I have to. So what else are we waiting for? "

"Nothing," Batman took charge again. "The rest of you go on ahead. Prepare the rest of the Martians for what is to come. Prepare yourselves for your own specific parts of the plan. Wonder Woman and I must prepare for ours. Before we depart for the core."

"Understood, my friend," J'onn spoke for the group, talking through a smile almost broader than his head. Despite his own personal joy at what could happen _if _they pulled this off, he seemed to understand perfectly well. From the look on her own face, it seemed that Shayera did to.

"Come on Flash," she said, practically pulling the speedster away as his mind was catching up. He may have witnessed Batman and Wonder Woman just minutes ago in their loving embrace, but he was probably still coming to terms with that to recognise the implications right now. From the loud "Oh" that issued from his direction moments after Shayera had taken him off to one side, she had clearly helped him on that path. J'onn and M'vall also left without saying more, though M'vall did offer Batman what seemed to be a very grateful, very genuine nod. Batman barely acknowledged it, keeping up his stony façade. Only when they were gone did he turn to face Wonder Woman. She waited for him to do that, but she wasn't going to bother waiting for him to talk first.

"There's something about this that you left out before isn't there?"

She had spotted it straight away. The others hadn't experienced the effects of being in contact with the core so they wouldn't do, but she had. She knew there was more to it than Batman had told the group, more to it than them both gaining full, remote access to the control centre of the cloud. She also knew that Batman would have already factored that into his plans. _Everything _had to be accounted for. Always had been, always would be. He didn't wait to explain, didn't bother with any kind of build up. He just dove straight in.

"The core needs two minds to handle it, but it can't be split. The core can be controlled by multiple minds, but the merger must be with one. Our minds merge with the core, but need to be merged with each other first. And that's dangerous in its own right. Having that much access to one another, having that much information thrown at you so quickly, so forcefully and so firmly, it could cause breakdowns, insanity, perhaps even death. Just this first phase will be incredibly dangerous, Princess. That's why I need someone with a mind as strong as yours to be in there with me. We could well need to use each other just to keep ourselves together. Are you up to it?"

"Bruce, you don't need to ask me that," Wonder Woman was quick to dismiss the question. She could tell it was asked almost as wishful thinking on Batman's part, as a way of keeping her from danger by hoping that she would say no. The fact that he had _asked_ her, though, rather than just shutting her out, meant the world to her, no matter how much she felt he should have known the answer already. "The people need this, ours and the Martians. The worldneeds this. _We _need this. Of course I'm up to it."

"There's something else too," Batman began again, but he didn't do so as if her words had been spoken too early as he may have once done. It sounded simply informative. This time, it sounded like he was almost _glad _that it would be her at his side. Perhaps she had judged his last question too early. Perhaps he had indeed just been checking that she felt ready and able. Perhaps he was more accepting of sharing the risks with her than she had first thought. That gave Diana an oddly warm feeling inside that she had to batten down in order to focus on what she was hearing. "More than one thing in fact. There is a very undeniable risk that even if we survive the blending, we may end up trapped that way, with a unified mind even after the core is gone. With no previous to compare against, I can't say how real that risk is, but you should be aware of it."

"We face risks everyday," Wonder Woman shrugged that one off. "This will just have to be another for the list."

"The second is more subtle," Batman resumed, the first point clearly deemed moot straight away with her response. "Princess, I know you have struggled with issues of anger in the past. During the merging you will be exposed to my feelings, to _my _anger. You should know by now I have a lot of it, _decades _of it built up. If you can't handle it, you may lose control, and with your power, an out of control Wonder Woman could be just as dangerous as the cloud, whether you have control of it or not. I just wanted to make you aware of that, to let you know exactly what might happen."

Wonder Woman actually found herself letting out a little snort of laughter. "It's all right. If anything does happen, I'm sure you have a contingency plan to stop it."

"Actually, this time I don't." That was Batman's response. That gave Wonder Woman an immediate and very strong surprise. Batman _always _had a contingency plan. Always, until now... "I trust you, Princess. I've trained myself to trust you. Now that you know the risk, I trust you to be able to handle it. _You _are the only plan. You're the only plan that I need."

Wonder Woman's jaw was suddenly hung even lower than M'vall's had been moments ago when they had all learned that the Martians could be saved. For Wonder Woman, what she had just heard was every bit as wonderful as that message had been for the aliens, albeit far more personal and subtle. Just those few sentences, those few seconds of speech from him, had meant the world to her. They had been the kind of words she had unknowingly dreamt of hearing for so long. Batman, the most paranoid man around, trusted her to _that _great extent. He trusted her so much he risked two races over what she could do, on how she could cope. It meant far more than his confession of love back in the Batcave all of those months ago, far more than what she had seen in his mind the last time in the core. It confirmed how strongly he felt for her far more than any of those things could ever do. It proved once and for all that he loved her, and that nothing could change that now.

That meant the whole world to her, and he wasn't even done yet.

"Princess, there is no one else that I want at my side in this, no one that I trust more to help me pull this off. I know you can do this. More than that, I know that you can help me to do this. I know that you can be my anchor in there, that feeling your presence, no matter how small, will be enough to get me through the blending. I know that together we can pull this off. Princess, I'm very glad that you're with me. I just wanted you to know that. Now we need to get going. The others will be almost ready. We don't have much time."

Wonder Woman didn't know how to react. She just didn't have a clue. She knew how she felt, and that went beyond any kind of words. She was hardly even registering the fact that J'onn and M'vall had the Martians waking up all around them, signalling that the Imperium would soon be ready to assault Metropolis all over again. In the end, there was nothing she could do but nod her head as the depreciating time forced her to react, however slightly. There was nothing she could do but plant a quick but very passionate kiss on Batman's exposed lips, before just about managing to whisper a few very short words.

"Then lets go save the world together. _Partner_."

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN:**_

_**Review time. Off you go!**_


	23. Chapter 22: One and the Same

**Chapter 22: One and the Same**

The entire force had fallen back to their stronghold. They hadn't sent everyone before, not by a long shot, and they hadn't sent their greatest soldiers either. But they had been convinced that the ones they had sent would have been enough. Of course, their leader, their inspiration and their planner was long dead, it had turned out. Despite that, they thought that they had done sufficiently well. They thought they had done more than enough.

But they had been wrong. They hadn't seen what had happened coming. Despite what they had learned from the human who designated himself _Snapper_, they hadn't believed that the band of Earth heroes would be able to stop them the second time. They hadn't believed that the Earth heroes would be able to take control of the cloud's innards, and they certainly hadn't thought them capable of turning their soldiers into a broken mess of fear. The wounded were still recovering, morphing themselves back into a singular piece. Even then, though, they still seemed broken in a way.

But that wasn't what the rest of the Imperium were so furious about. The fear the others were feeling could be overcome, the pain forgotten. No, it was more than any of that. They hadn't believed that the Earth heroes would convince the cowardly Martians to fight with them. They hadn't foreseen the Martians enabling the Earth people to stop their attack on the city of Metropolis, the attack of necessary revenge.

Nothing they had tried yet was breaking through the Martians hold on the cloud. Nothing they had tried yet was giving them enough control to lift the cloud out of the oceans of this world to resume the attack. They had pulled everyone into the efforts, they were pushing their human captives minds harder, but none of it was working.

Or at least it hadn't been doing. All that suddenly began to change. The Imperium felt the cloud move up against the currents, beginning to raise, but they had done nothing to change things. It must have resulted from something at the other end. The Martians control of the cloud must have suddenly lessened. That was letting them in. This was their chance.

The Imperium were not about to question why, either. This was their chance and they were going to take it. The Martians and their human allies may have been up to something, but the Imperium would deal with it when they had to. To quote something they heard from _Snapper _during the interrogation, they were not going to look the gift horse in its mouth.

The cloud would attack the city again just as soon as they had it out of the water, which by the new feel of things shouldn't take long. And then, once that city was done, the Imperium would turn their attention onto ending the Martians and their new friends. For they all deserved to die for what they did to the Imperium's glorious leader.

Only some would have to wait their turn for oblivion.

* * *

><p>The Martians' were slowly awakening around him. J'onn and M'vall were both doing their bit in bringing them out of their controlling trances. The time was done for them to hold the cloud beneath the waters. Releasing it may put the people of Metropolis at risk once again but Batman's plan required it, and that plan needed to be followed for everyone's sakes. There was plenty of risks involved in it, but it was the best plan they could reasonably hope for. There were plenty of opportunities for failure, plenty of chances for death, be it for Batman and Wonder Woman inside the clouds central core, the people of Metropolis under the clouds assault or just all of them from direct attacks from the Imperium. But the risks were definitely outweighed by the potential gains, including those J'onn had not thought would ever be possible.<p>

The Martians were going to live again. His people were going to be gone no more. Just so long as they survived the next few hours...

Despite performing his important task, J'onn could not help his mind at least slightly reminiscing or thinking of what may one day be. His family, his _Martian _family were still long gone. They were not among those who Transcended. J'onn knew that. There was no going back there. But others were coming back. _Mars _could come back, back to the prosperous, peaceful society that it had once been. It would be a long road, but J'onn could now see it. There was still plenty of fog in his line of sight, but he could see it. True, unequivocal hope had been born in him.

Although, even if they could get to that stage, even if they could survive this day to get reborn, J'onn didn't know what part he would play in such a society. He had a new home, a new family, a place he didn't want to abandon easily. _If _they pulled this off, he would certainly have a decision to make. But that was a decision that would require plenty of time to mull over, and right now he had none to spare.

Right now he had to focus on getting the Martians ready for the fight that could save them all.

"J'onn. Are we ready?"

Batman growled out the question to him several moments later. By that time, J'onn and M'vall had just about delivered the message to the last of the Martians. By that time, the Imperium had already begun to lift the cloud. Of course, Batman could almost certainly tell all that from how the Martians were now conscious around him once again, and all looking rather excited even through their nerves.

J'onn looked up at his friend to see both him and Wonder Woman marching over to his side. He had deliberately not listened in on their conversation, helped no end by having such a stronger distraction for his mind to go alongside his great focus for the mission. Despite that though, J'onn could still sense the unbelievable joy coming from Diana and the shared feeling of closeness between the two. That alone told J'onn that _they _were ready. More, it gave him even more reason to hope that they pulled this off. His friends deserved happiness. They just had to live to properly have it.

"My people are ready to follow your plan," M'vall answered before J'onn could, sweeping in from the side having just delivered the wake up message to the final Martian. "We are ready to put our lives into your hands."

"Then lets get to the core, all of us," Batman returned, M'vall's answer clearly enough for him. "Flash and Shayera are already on their way to ensure the place is clear. For now we need to stick together."

"If you know the way, we shall follow your lead," M'vall was quick to jump in again. Her state of mind had definitely taken a drastic change recently. It had been enough at the time that she had decided to make a stand and help them drown the cloud. Now she was genuinely itching for the fight. That was what the excitement of a chance of becoming corporeal again had done to her. Given the situation, that was certainly encouraging.

"We shall circle the core, try to psychically shroud it from view so the Imperium cannot locate you while you're in there," J'onn expanded, feeling that he at least ought to let Batman and Wonder Woman know how they were going to be guarded once they were inside the core and unable to fend for themselves. He didn't want to forget to do that in all the excitement. He didn't want to give his friends an excuse to worry. He knew that, in that core, they would have enough to worry about already. "I doubt we'll be able to assist you telepathically once you're inside, but we shall do whatever we can."

"Thanks, J'onn," Diana said with a nod and a smile.

"Come on, lets move," Batman forcefully growled, though J'onn knew that deep down he was grateful too, he just couldn't show it. Batman didn't wait for any more words to be said. He just swept away with a flutter of his cape. Wonder Woman could only give J'onn a knowing look before following. J'onn was hardly slow in setting off himself. He just took a second to look at M'vall first, and all of the Martians now very attentively stood behind her. Hundreds of them.

"I assure you, they will do everything that they can to fulfil their promise to you," J'onn felt compelled to say to her. He had to ensure that the Martians played their part in this. He had to fight off a sudden fear that the Martians paranoia could return to ruin everything. "Before we begin, I have to assure you that they will do everything they can to give you back your bodies."

There was a horrible second as M'vall looked back at her fellows before answering him, but then the horrors were gone. "We know, J'onn J'onzz. And we are prepared to do our part to the end."

J'on couldn't stop himself from beaming at that. It was happening. The chance to save the world – and _two_ races – was here, and they were going to try and take it.

"Then lets not keep Batman and Wonder Woman waiting. Let's go."

* * *

><p>There wasn't a trace of a single Imperium fiend back at that glowing pillar of light that apparently controlled the whole place. The coast was clear for Bats and Wondy to do what they had to do.<p>

Truth be told, Flash was glad that going in there wasn't _his _part of the plan. It sounded freaky. Merging minds with someone else sounded bad enough, let alone with the remains of long dead aliens that controlled a being of pure energy. Definitely freaky. Swapping bodies with Lex Luthor had been bad enough. He just hoped that Bats and Wondy knew what they were getting themselves into.

But then, they did always seem to. Why should now be any different?

And there they were, striding over determinedly towards him. They were side by side, but both of them were clearly focussed on that core behind him. Of course, Flash still found himself amazed at the sight of the two of them together, especially having witnessed the sight of the two of them _together_.

"All clear over here," he called out to the pair of them as they drew ever closer. The horde of Martians, J'onn included, had been trailing Bats and Wondy over here, but while those two came right to Flash's side, their buddies drifted off, beginning to encircle the core. Flash may not have been a warrior or tactician like the others, but he still recognised folks taking up defensive positions when he saw it. It helped that Shayera had already done it herself. Right now she was up above, playing lookout and keeping them all covered from... well, not the skies because in here there was no _real _sky, but from the _up_. "You guys sure you wanna go in there? Still sounds mighty wacko to me."

"We're sure," Wonder Woman reassured him, patting him on the shoulder and offering him a warm smile. "It's the only way we can do this."

"Flash, stand guard with the rest," Batman ordered with a far harsher and dismissive tone. "And no matter what happens, no matter how much we seem to be in trouble, do _not _follow us in there. An extra mind in the mix would only make things worse. Make sure the others know that too."

"What, you're delegating command out here to _me_?" The words were out of Flash before he had even thought of them. With just cause, he was surprised at Batman treating _him _like that.

"Don't let me down," Batman answered. "It was_ your_ plan, after all."

And then Flash saw something he really hadn't expected. _Batman _smiled at him too. It surprised him so much that he hardly noticed the dismissal. Batman's smile had to become his usual snarl before he cottoned on. Yes, he had managed to impress the Bat, but that wasn't going to mean failing to do his job wouldn't piss Bats off. It was time to run.

However, even as he was joining up with the Martians in the defensive ring, he couldn't resist one last glance back. He couldn't resist watching as Bats and Wondy both went into that core.

* * *

><p>When Flash was gone, Batman and Wonder Woman both wasted no more time before going into the core. As far as Batman was concerned, that moment before walking over here had been their potential goodbye, their possible last moment together if this didn't work. Now they were at the core, it was time to get down to business.<p>

As before they had both placed their palms of at least one hand flat against the core, pressing in deep. As before, they had let it take them. As before, Diana clutched a tight hold of one of his hands as they were both enveloped by it.

The pain was back instantly, the pain that delivered the instinctive signal that they should stay away from this place. It was the natural defence against the risks of what they were about to do, but a defence that had to be ignored. Batman could feel himself screaming. Feel but not hear. No doubt Diana was in exactly the same boat, but he knew that she could take it. Just so long as Flash kept all their allies out of the core and away from them, this was the easy part.

They had barely begun to scratch the surface. They had barely begun to get to the heart of the core, where the real control was held. _That _was where they needed to be.

And so, despite all the pain, Batman pressed on, deeper still towards the heart of the core. Even as he did so, he could feel Wonder Woman's memories coming back into his mind, all of her thoughts, feelings and sensations. He could feel the beginnings of blending with her. But they were yet to truly begin blending with the cloud.

And so they both had to go further in. Despite the pain. And despite the risk.

But, for once in his life, Batman had faith. He had faith that, with Wonder Woman at his side, they might just have a chance.

* * *

><p>The memories were hitting her hard and fast again, both the good and the very, very bad. It was hard not to get lost in seeing the times when Batman admitted to anyone, even himself, that he loved her. It was harder still not to get lost once again in <em>that<em> day all those years ago, when he had watched his family die before his eyes at the hands of a desperate man.

Wonder Woman could feel them all rushing through her like a train. Hera, it was hard to ignore them, especially as they weren't just leaving a mark and then passing by. She could feel them literally latching themselves onto her, so very vividly. She could feel them practically becoming her own memories, even more so than they had done the last time. More, she could feel all of Bruce's thoughts and feelings becoming her own. She could feel the blending beginning. She could feel there was some truth in what she had heard before, that Batman's head wasn't a nice place to be. But she could also see the light in there too, the true goodness.

And she could feel the hope amid the fear. The hope that civilisation may just go on yet. The hope for the future. The hope for _their _future.

But then she could feel more. Batman had pressed on, literally pushing himself deeper into the core. Wonder Woman was not going to let him go in alone. She pushed on herself, past the pain barrier. For the pain was certainly coming on strong. She could feel the hurt, a feeling like that of a billion tonne jackhammer pounding inside her skull. It was as if something was trying to split her head open and crawl on in. It was also as if something was overpowering her, putting so much energy into her head that her mental pathways were struggling to cope.

It was almost as if things were going exactly according to plan. It was almost as if the real risk, and the real pain, were right around the corner. Rapidly things could escalate. Rapidly, they would need them to.

But things _were _going to plan so far. Wonder Woman was sure of that.

The blending had begun, both with Batman, _and_ with the core.

* * *

><p>Something was going on. They could sense that <em>something <em>was going on. Something over by the central control core. They just couldn't tell exactly what.

The Imperium knew that it was the Martians and their human allies who were behind it. They had to be. There had to be a reason why the Martians had ceased to prevent the Imperium from raising the cloud. The Martians and the humans were up to something. This would _be_ that something.

But the Imperium were sure that they would be able to handle it. The enemy caught them off guard before. They drowned the cloud because the Imperium threw too many soldiers against them, even if it had been by no means their whole force. This time they wouldn't make that mistake. This time they would stay in control. This time they would keep the majority of their minds in place, would keep their focus on their control of the cloud instead of splitting their aim. They had almost managed to get the cloud out of the water as things were. They wouldn't allow that to be stopped now.

This time they would not stop until the city had fallen.

The recovering soldiers could be the ones to investigate. They were still weak, their minds not supplying the group with enough power to make a difference. They would be easily beaten again if last time was anything to go by, but they could find out what the Martians and their friends were up to, and they could report that back. They could maybe kill off some of the enemy before they fail. And they could give the Imperium all the information they'd need to put an end to this.

It was time for the Imperium to avenge their fallen leader. It was time for them to put an end to this world.

* * *

><p>Two minds. Two sets of memories. Two bodies to control. And an entire energy cloud with all that it contained on top of that.<p>

It was a good job that his mind was strong, but even Batman was struggling. The pain was bad enough. He had long since trained himself to get passed that sort of thing, though. So often he had to fight on despite incredible amounts of it. So often that had meant finding a way to blot it out. Right now, he was trying to do exactly that. He might have been able to if it wasn't for all the rest of it he was battling at the same time.

He had warned Diana that she might struggle to cope with all of his anger. Well he was starting to struggle with all of her light. It was so strong it was blinding, she was so _good _it was overwhelming. Truth be told he was beginning to get lost in it. Beginning to get lost in all her memories of her perfect world before she had left the island. Batman had been to paradise before, but he had never really experienced it until he saw it through Diana's eyes.

And paradise was such a long way from Gotham...

It was only as the pain became even more intense that he managed to break free of the hold of Diana's mind. He still couldn't hear it, but he could definitely feel his throat burning as his lungs were emptied by his yells of hurt. He could feel as his head felt like it was being stretched every which way and more, but he kept pushing on, and he knew that Diana did too. He could see it in her thoughts.

They were getting ever closer. They were getting ever nearer to the true centre of the core. Now was the time for the real _deadly _risk to begin.

* * *

><p>Wonder Woman was feeling it all too. Hera, she could feel all of it at exactly the same time Bruce was doing. She could <em>feel <em>what Bruce could feel. And she could feel Bruce feeling what _she _was feeling. And she could feel what he was feeling her feeling his feelings. It was endless, like looking into a mirror that directly faced another. And it was intense. She could certainly understand why her mind was screaming in pain, trying to make her get out of the core. Anyone without her strength, without her determination, would likely be driven insane by it all, if not worse.

And that wasn't even the half of it. Before she had promised Batman that she would not share his burden, that she would not allow witnessing his parent's deaths to taint her with anger and darkness as he had irreparably been. And she had Bruce's trust that that promise would not be broken, that she would keep his anger at bay and stop it from overwhelming her.

That was proving a hard promise to keep. That bullet kept flashing through her mind's eye. Faces of men like the Joker and the Penguin kept swimming before her too, men who proved why their gender was so hated on Themyscira. All the pain, all the hatred that Bruce had seen in his life, all of the suffering of innocents. It all made her so..._angry_. It made her want to lash out. Hera, it even made her consider _letting _these Imperium teach the people of Man's World a lesson they would never forget. Through the core she could feel the cloud beginning to rise through the waters, battling through the currents at the Imperium's direction, but that just made her want to hurt them. Not just stop them, but _hurt _them. Badly.

She knew that that wasn't the real her talking. She knew that it was all a side effect of the cloud's core, that with all that was going on in her head she was struggling, but that changed nothing. Wonder Woman was trying to fight, but this wasn't like an enemy she had fought before. This wasn't even like the time she had learned to master her anger before. This was overwhelmingly dark, and dangerous.

And every second her mind was being stretched thinner. She could feel it happening. The cloud was a very large place, and the core had access and control to all of it. Now her mind was getting access to all of that too. Batman's may have been there to help, but even two human brains weren't designed to be running something as big and powerful as this. Even a mind created by the gods was struggling.

Thankfully – but only just so – that was helping to distract Wonder Woman from her rage. She didn't have enough spare mental capacity to get angry right now. As they ventured ever deeper, ever closer to the centre of the core and the point of no return, her mind felt like a dough that was being rolled so thin it was starting to tear. Her thoughts were being stretched so much that it almost felt like her mind was shutting down. She could even feel her consciousness beginning to wane.

Through the increasingly locked link, Wonder Woman could tell that Batman was going through the same thing, which was certainly not a good thought at all. Worse, Wonder Woman could definitely tell that neither of them would make it to the end, to the point they set out to reach.

They badly needed for something to happen, for something to turn their way. They badly needed to find some way of surviving the core, otherwise the world would be dying with them.

They just didn't have much time in which to find it. And the pain wasn't going away either.

* * *

><p>It was damn hard to just stay back and do nothing when two of your closest friends and allies were suffering so much, and that was certainly what was happening right now. Still, Shayera had to force herself to stay away. She had figured out for herself upon hearing Batman's plan that any late entrants to their battle in the core would only make things worse, only stretch their minds further and get that extra person in serious trouble too. But that didn't mean that just standing by – or more accurately, hovering by – was pleasant. Quite the opposite.<p>

Even up here flying above the rest to keep watch, Shayera couldn't make out Diana or the Bat any more. They'd both ventured too far into the light that was the core. But she could still hear them. She could hear their screams, their endless, blood curdling screams. Despite all that she knew, it was so very hard not to dive in there and try and drag them both out of there.

It had been going on for minutes too. Far longer than Shayera had been expecting before they'd gone in there. And with things so quiet out here, there was nothing to distract her from her worry for her friends.

At least there _hadn't _been.

The first sign she got was when she noticed a sudden twitchiness amongst the ring of Martians stood around the core as if they were guardians. With their telepathy they did have an advantage over Shayera around here, even with her keen eye. These guys had been hiding from the Imeprium in here for centuries. Of course they would have trained themselves to detect if the bad guys were approaching again. In spite of that, she was still able to react before any of them. She was the one who actually _saw_ them coming.

"Flash! J'onn!" she belted out from her position up above. Both of the other Founders suddenly stopped where they stood at the ring of Martians to look up at her, both suddenly fully alert and ready. "We got incoming!"

That was all that needed saying. The entire group was then getting in place, ready for a fight. Even the pacifist Martians were doing.

Shayera was certainly ready to get in there. Regardless of her love of a good fight, this would distract her from the screams.

For it didn't matter how many guys the Imperium threw at them, she knew that it was still in that core where the real fight was happening. Diana and Batman had better make it, and make it quick. With the Imperium getting bold enough to engage again, Shayera also knew that they didn't have much time.

* * *

><p>Batman was struggling to stay awake now. He felt almost like he was drowning in the power of the cloud, having to battle simply to avoid succumbing to it. It was far more difficult than stopping himself becoming lost in Diana's mind. Far more difficult. And far more deadly. He was only seconds away from blacking out.<p>

And if that happened, he was dead. They were all dead. _Diana_ would be dead.

_Diana_...

Sometimes he was so _stupid_. Of course. They had needed _two _minds. _Two_, and for good reason. Wonder Woman was the key to him surviving this, just as he was the key to her doing so. Neither of them could afford to get lost in the others mind, but both had known that they would merge doing this. They couldn't completely fight that.

They had to embrace it.

Batman didn't wait. He had to act fast. Through the already formed link he could feel Diana fading. They were right in the heart of the core now. This was the make or break moment, when either they got control or when everything was doomed.

Heart racing, Batman stretched out with his mind, latching on with every bit of strength he had left to every part of Wonder Woman he could still detect.

But she was fading fast, just as he was. It was a damn good job their minds were merging. Without that he might not be able to get her the message. She had to cotton on to what he was doing.

She _had _to.

* * *

><p>She was almost gone, she could tell. She could tell that Batman was almost lost too. But then she also felt him stretching out to her, reaching out to her, <em>embracing <em>her.

And then she got the message. They didn't have to fight so much. They didn't have to fight each other's presence. In fact, they shouldn't any more. They weren't the danger to each other any more. They'd got past that stage, it was the core that was the enemy now. Their minds were ready. It was time to let each other in. It was time for their two separate minds to become one.

As such, Wonder Woman embraced Batman back, just as he was attempting to embrace her. She could feel the change that brought about instantly. She could feel his minds presence in her head get stronger than ever. She could feel him taking back control of his anger as well, as she could feel everything in his head more than ever. It was time. It was happening. They were starting to pull it off.

She even felt Batman squeeze her hand ever tighter, as a signal. They were one now. They were together. And together they were beating the core. Together they were strong enough. She could already feel it. The full merger was under way, and by letting Bruce in – and vice versa – both of them were getting their strength back. Both of them had fought of the dangers and then embraced the changes. They had done it.

The merger was happening, they just needed to give it a minute to finish. And then they could put all their well earned abilities to good use.

She could feel that the cloud was almost out of the waters now via the cores expanding connection to her brain – to the now _shared_ mind between her and Bruce. She could also instantly hear his thoughts in reaction to that.

"_Let's get this done fast. We've a world to save."_

* * *

><p><strong><em>AN:_**

**_Something very symbolic about this notion that I just couldn't pass up. Review/favourite/follow as ever please. Ta._**


	24. Chapter 23: In Too Deep

**Chapter 23: In Too Deep**

One of the scouts had returned. The others had been left to fight and do as much damage as they could to the Martians before they would inevitably be forced to retreat. They were a weak bunch, but they were still fighters. That was more than could be said of those Martians. They weren't their Earth-based allies. _Those _were the dangerous ones. And if _they_ were distracted by the clouds central core, then even a band of weak Imperium soldiers could do serious damage.

But what was really important was what the returning scout had had to say, the message that he brought with him. Two of the Earthlings had gone into the core, and they had stayed there. Yet those humans had done nothing to try and halt the cloud's advance out of the oceans, to stop the Imperium's charge to the destruction of the Earth's mighty city. It was therefore obvious what that meant, what they were trying to do.

The humans were attempting to gain control of the core.

Of course the Imperium knew that wasn't the be all and end all of this. _If _the humans got the core control – _if –_ then it wouldn't be unanimous. They would have a strong, permanent link to the control cluster, but that wouldn't block the Imperium's own channels. With all their strength focussed on the cloud, they could still utilise it against the people of Earth. _If_ they kept the humans distracted, worried, _then _they could still utilise the cloud against the people of Earth. If they could kill the humans and put an end to whatever plan the pests had, then they could still utilise the cloud against the people of Earth. They had threat on their side. The humans might play games, but the Imperium would not blink. They would not stop until this planet suffered for what it did to their leader, for leaving them lost and alone.

No matter what the humans were up to, the Imperium would stop them. This was far from over. The humans would _not _stop them.

The cloud was almost out of the waters, and those two humans were still in the core. The city would suffer before the humans even had a chance to stop them.

The city would _die _before the humans could stop them. The Imperium would see to that.

The city of Metropolis was going to drown in flames.

* * *

><p>The Martians definitely weren't fighters. J'onn excluded, those guys were doing everything but actually running away as some more of those Imperium guys came around looking for trouble. Admittedly one or two had initially held their ground alongside Flash, J'onn and Shay, but they'd all wound up getting themselves shot, or worse. M'vall had had her buddies all quickly fall back even tighter to the core, though still sticking around with J'onn saying he'd protect them. Flash and Shayera would watch out for their new friends too.<p>

It wasn't the most hectic of battles, even if the ongoing screams issuing from Bats and Wondy inside that core thing made it seem that way. Flash wasn't the master detective of the group but he could tell these guys hearts weren't in it. This wasn't a real fight. This was just them testing the waters. These Imperium folks were all getting beat easy enough. The problem was that even though there wasn't many of them, there were only three Leaguers about to fight them.

And there were a whole host of Martians they had to keep from getting killed. And big groups were fairly easy to hit with a gun, even with a dodgy aim. Lucky, then, that Flash was fast enough to block out most of the shots, but even he couldn't be in two places at once. If they didn't end this fast those Martians were going to be slaughtered.

The League trio were working on it. In between protection duty they were each taking down badguys as fast as they could, but there just wasn't enough time between protection duty. If they dared risk the Martians' safety they could have bought more seconds, but they didn't dare, not when they had to sit back and wait for Bats and Wondy to be done 'merging'. Until those two were done playing around with the clouds absent brains, Flash and chums had to keep the Martians safe.

It was as Flash was charging around to take out an Imperium eager for a pop-shot that it happened. There was a flash of light from that core behind them so bright that the Imperium must have gotten damn scared that their nightmare was happening all over again. Even the fastest man alive needed a second to catch up with what was going on. By the time he had done, things were already going down.

Before Flash knew it a golden lasso had whipped out from nowhere, lashing together a whole bunch of Imperium, including Flash's target. With them bound and unable to move, something suddenly flew into their midst – a batarang. The next second the bunch of Imperium exploded.

The next second the two of them were right them, fully emerged. Bats and Wondy, fighting hard, and side by side. They surged out from behind Flash, so fluid, so in tune with one another as they took the Imperium out of play one by one. Flash – and J'onn and Shayera too – couldn't help but drop back to a pure guard position and watch on in awe. That core had definitely done something to two of the Leagues biggest hitters. It was like they each knew exactly what the other would be doing at any given second, like they knew exactly where the other was without needing to see it. It meant they hardly needed to break a sweat to end this bunch of villains. They had each others backs completely covered, and the badguys backs completely pummelled.

For the first time since hearing the plan, Flash wasn't requiring his usual unquestioning optimism to believe in what they were doing. Ruddy hell, watching Bats and Wondy just then... They all _definitely_ had a chance.

At least until it came to the next blast of freaky sci-fi voodoo, anyway.

"Wowsers," Flash breathed when the Imperium dudes had finally had enough and slunk away just as they'd done twice before. Even if it was just a scout party of them, Bats and Wondy had done one hell of a job in taking them down. In fact, the pair hadn't waited before marching on over towards Flash and the rest. And they were perfectly in step with one another as they did so.

"I take it from that performance that the pair of you were successful?" It was M'vall who was asking the question. The rest of her crew were still hanging back, but in the wake of the Imperium's latest retreat she seemed to have rediscovered her cajones. Bats and Wondy both halted equidistant from Flash, both looking straight at M'vall. Both even held the same neutral posture and blank expression. Freaky.

"We have full remote access to the control core."

_Freakier_. They had spoken in complete unison, even the tones of their voices matching up. Heck, it was strange. Obviously something to do with their trip into that mental blender. They'd seemed in great unison in the fight, but they hadn't shared movements and everything as completely as they were doing right now. Boy this would take some getting used to. Flash even found himself desperately hoping that it wasn't permanent. Once this thing was done, if they were both still like that, then that would just be _too _weird.

"Now we must hurry," the pair of them went on in their joint venture. "We can detect that the cloud is lifting. It's almost out of the ocean. We haven't much time before Metropolis is hit. Its time to begin the next phase of the plan, before people start getting hurt again."

"Then let's get going," Flash returned, unable to stay too quiet for long, no matter how messed up things could seem. Besides, for now they actually needed things to be messed up like this. "Just point Shay and me to those people batteries and we'll go start unplugging. Things are heating up plenty as it is. We can't afford for it to finally boil over. My toes might get burned."

Even with the WonderBat on their side, the heat was definitely now on, and the clock was ticking down to zero hour. If they weren't on top of their game, it might just make it there.

Especially if Big Boy Blue, GL and the rest couldn't keep the cloud at bay a while longer until Flash and the rest had done what they had to to the thing's innards...

* * *

><p>The alert signal was all of a sudden wailing. Mr. Terrific was still on duty in the Watchtower's central hub. He had to be until this thing was done, and it wasn't done yet. But things had seemed to have gone quiet. He had been beginning to plan another quick trip down to the Infirmary to check on Doc Conway and all of her patients when the alarms had meant that he couldn't go anywhere just yet. The action was kicking off all over again.<p>

Scrambling, Mr. Terrific quickly scanned his sensor boards. He had watched that cloud remarkably disappear into the ocean beyond Metropolis harbour shortly after it had become the joint Batman/Wonder Woman symbol. That meant he had a very good idea where the danger alert would be coming from. Sure enough, there it was. It was still beneath the waves, but it was rising, and it was rising fast. Any moment now it would be clear again, and almost certainly very dangerous once more. There wasn't a whole lot that Mr. Terrific could actually do to stop it up here, but that didn't mean he was about to sit back and do nothing. He could warn the folks who could actually make a difference that it was time to get active all over again.

"Mr. Terrific to all Leaguers on site at Metropolis," he quickly issued into the comm on a general frequency. "You've got incoming. That cloud has decided the water's not for it, and its coming to you all over again."

"T, its GL!" Green Lantern's familiar voice came back to him in no time. He was practically shouting, a furore of noise going on in the background. Clearly the League weren't the only ones to see what was happening. The people of Metropolis were panicking in full all over again. "We can already see it coming! Keep on monitoring! This could get real messy, real fast!"

* * *

><p>John had been ready from the second he had left the ground to return to his position in the skies. It hadn't taken him long to get the rest of the troops prepared either, a task that had befallen him with Superman still not back yet. They were all lined up alongside him, a barrier between the waters and the city at its border. All of them, be it Captain Atom, Stargirl, Red Tornado or any of the rest, were watchful, staring down at the tides. Batman had said that the cloud was going to be raised as part of his plan to end its threat. Green Lantern and his cohorts would be on hand to make sure it couldn't do any damage when it did.<p>

They had to buy time for the guys inside that cloud who were battling to end it. _He _had to buy _Shayera _time, to do everything he could to make sure that she made it out of there safely. She had to be safe. Regardless of his indecision about the future, _their _future, she _had _to be safe.

It was then that he saw the bubbles. The waves had been fairly gentle, but they were suddenly getting heavier. In fact, the waters were definitely looking suddenly warmer, more energetic. It could only mean one thing.

"Looks like I made it just in time," a voice issued from nearby, a very familiar voice. GL dared the briefest of glances over his shoulder to see that Superman had indeed made it back, suddenly halted having clearly travelled at pace and now hovering there just like the rest, showing no signs at all that he had just traversed half a continent in minutes. He was looking down into the waters, his array of enhanced visual aides clearly letting him actually see the cloud coming. He wasn't the only one either.

"_Mr. Terrific to all Leaguers on site at Metropolis. You've got incoming. That cloud has decided the water's not for it, and its coming to you all over again."_

"T, its GL!" he spoke up before anyone else could. Things were starting to get loud. The activity beneath the ocean was starting to get forceful, and people beyond the Leaguers were starting to notice. The screams from the city were kicking off all over again. "We can already see it coming! Keep on monitoring! This could get real messy, real fast!"

"Everyone, brace yourselves!" Superman bellowed out himself to all of the rest of the flight enabled heroes, taking on his usual role as figurehead. "We know this thing doesn't play nice. Be ready for anything!"

He had barely finished the words when Green Lantern spotted the flash of light beneath the waves. It was short-lived, but it was almost blinding. It was a vast surge of energy from a position still beneath the water, a position oddly far away from the city...

And then GL saw why. The energy surge that GL had just saw wasn't a random act or a side effect of the cloud raising. It had been very deliberate, accurate, calculated. And it was already causing trouble. Big trouble.

For it had just both heated and energised the waves, big time. A huge column of water was pushed up high, forming a superheated wall of liquid, a wall that was travelling fast. It had to start out in the distance to get as high as it was, but the speed was more than making up for it. It was moving very fast, and fast towards Metropolis. That cloud had sent a tidal wave at them. It was attacking already, before it was even clear of the waters.

GL acted fast. At the speed of light he had a barricade in place, using his power ring to create a breaker out as far as he could manage. It had to be wide too, on order to cover the entire breadth of the wave. But GL could manage that. The only question was whether his wall would be strong enough to withstand the wave, especially with it being so spread.

Luckily GL was not alone. A lot of the others did not have the time to react like GL had, their powers not enabling such rapid movement as light could achieve. However, Superman was not one of those others. He was swooping forwards at his rapid best, just a gust almost strong enough to bowl GL over. GL kept his focus on making his sea wall to pay what the man of steel was up to much attention, but he could still figure it out. With all of his powers, the Kryptonian was again the best weapon here. Unleashing his freeze breath, he was able to take away the energy of that wave. He hadn't the time to completely freeze it over, but he could slow it down.

And that was enough. Slowed down it wasn't as powerful. Subsequently that meant that GL's wall of wills was enough.

The wave still struck it hard, but GL was able to hold, despite having to strain. It tripped the wave up, sending it crashing back down into the ocean. Big ripples followed, but they weren't big enough. They weren't the kind of thing that would threaten the entire sprawl that was Metropolis, as that wave could well have done had it been allowed to get any closer. Heck, it had gotten close enough as it was. GL could already feel the warmth of its dying spray passing him by.

But, of course, beating the wave was only the beginning. It was an early effort, an attempt to cause damage by the cloud before it was in a position to attack even more directly. It was a warning shot that once again the cloud definitely meant business.

It was a signal that Batman, Shayera and the others _really _needed to act fast. This cloud was coming to kill.

And it was practically here. With the crashing hiss of litres of spray, the hulk of energy that was the cloud hit air once again. It was drowned no longer. It was back. It was here.

And, just as before, it did not hesitate before attacking. A tentacle of energy was blasted out as soon as the top of the cloud was clear, but that first strike wasn't aimed at the city. It was aimed at the Justice League, at the heroes who had just seconds ago been too occupied and distracted by that wave. It was a good job none of these heroes were true rookies. Even Superman needed time to react, time he didn't have before that tentacle was coming his way courtesy of his proximity as a result of his part of stopping the wave.

However, the rest of the Leaguers did have time. They may not have found a combination to truly beat the cloud away, but they did have the means to keep its strikes temporarily at bay. Right now, thankfully, that was all that they needed. Captain Atom lead the charge, surging radioactive energy into the tentacle. Many others followed his lead, GL among them. They made it just in time. The tentacle was delayed just enough that Superman could snap out of the way at his rapid speeds, before joining the efforts.

But, just as the wave before it, that tentacle strike had served its clear purpose. It had kept the Justice League busy, kept them active, and pulled them all out towards the cloud to fight it, away from the city.

And now the cloud was out of the ocean.

It hung before them like a menace once again, rippling with energy and darkness, looking angrier than ever. Ready to pounce. Ready to kill.

For the briefest of seconds GL wished that Captain Atom and Superman could have just destroyed the thing before it had harmed _anyone_. He knew that no matter how good Batman's plan was, there was plenty of chances that _someone _would get killed by it yet. With all the damage that had already been done, they had to do _whatever _they could to stop it doing more.

But it was the briefest of seconds. Destroying the cloud would do damage in its own right. All those Metropolis citizens in there, all of those Martians, each of those Founders. _Shayera_. They couldn't be sacrificed, not while there was _any _chance of saving everyone.

Atom and Superman definitely seemed to agree there. Just in those few seconds, GL could tell that those two were being extremely careful not to unleash their respective radioactive and freezing powers concurrently. They were in there fighting to hold the cloud as close to the waters as the League could manage, but they were ensuring they didn't unleash their one way of destroying it. _That _would be left to Batman's plan, _after _the people were safe.

But safety seemed a long way away right now. GL could see the cloud getting ever higher. He had actually formed a mallet via his ring to try and pummel the cloud back into the ocean but it hadn't worked. The thing was still rising, getting ever higher into the skies, and getting closer to Metropolis by the second. The League were battling to hold it off, but it wasn't working. When it was using all its energy just to move, as it was doing now, that thing was a true juggernaut; unstoppable.

But the Justice League had to try to stop it. Glancing over his shoulder, Metropolis was looking all too close already to GL, and the cloud was driving them ever closer to it.

The danger was definitely back. They could only hope that they could manage to keep it in check for long enough, that that cloud could be defeated from within.

And GL was definitely hoping.

* * *

><p>General Mulligan was no fool. Green Arrow had told him what the Justice League were up to and that it was already in play, too late to stop. The archer had been right when he had predicted what Mulligan's reaction was going to be. To say he wasn't happy would be one hell of an understatement. His rage had been intense. So intense that Green Arrow had quickly dismissed himself from Mulligan's presence before any kind of <em>incident <em>could occur.

He knew that what the League was doing was designed to save many, including those who had at one stage seemed already lost. They weren't blindly stupid. They were just idealistically naïve. And that could well wind up getting the people of this city killed.

It almost had already. Mulligan wasn't blind. He had seen that wave suddenly burst out of the ocean, a wave of superheated water that would never have happened if Superman and Captain Atom had both just destroyed the cloud when Mulligan had ordered them to. Granted the League had managed to halt that wave before it could do any major damage, but that wasn't the point. The point was that that cloud was back, right there threatening the city all over again. The military were still trying to get the citizens clear, and the Justice League had brought that deadly energy being right back to their doorsteps. Those _heroes _had just put _everyone _right back at risk.

They were supposed to try and save people. Yet they had just begun to do the opposite.

Mulligan had already issued the order for the evacuation attempts to try to pick up the pace even more, but truth be told his people were already working to full capacity and there were no more reinforcements to call in, not in time. He knew that they would need longer than Superman and his cohorts would be able to keep the cloud at bay having watched them battle it twice already – and poorly at that. Even with Green Arrow and his non-flying Justice League friends out there lending a hand, Mulligan's men just couldn't work fast enough. The General was convinced. This city was about to become a bloodbath.

That was unless he could do what the Justice League had failed to do. Unless he could destroy that cloud, once and for all. Alone in his command post, Mulligan pulled out his personal radio and thumbed it on, frequency still set for his contact at the airbase.

"This is General Mulligan," he immediately spoke into it. "The situation here is getting out of hand. We haven't much time. That thing is over the water right now. The quicker we can destroy it, the less unavoidable casualties there'll be. Tell me the missile is ready."

"General, Major Breckman here," a voice quickly returned, getting the hint from Mulligan's tone and speaking with a proper sense of urgency. "Those security features are installed, and the fermonic gases are in place. They're in the final stages of integration with the other materials now. We'll be able to launch any second, just as soon as the engineers give us the go ahead that the mix is holding. Otherwise, if we launch too early it'll just be as futile as throwing a giant metal block into some mist."

"I know the situation, son," Mulligan firmly responded to that. He knew _exactly _what it would mean if the rocket wasn't ready when it was fired. He had ordered the thing put together, after all, having witnessed what Superman and Captain Atom could – and were failing – to do. "Just get the engineers to hurry. I want no delays on this. When that missile is ready, the _second _it's ready, I want you to fire it. Consider this as your orders to launch. Don't waste any time getting further approval when the time comes. Just fire it. Is that understood?"

"Implicitly, Sir," the Major replied. "I'll inform you when its in the air."

"Good," Mulligan uttered. As he did he glanced through the gap between the towers of Metropolis' skyline. He couldn't see much through the narrow channel, but he could just about make out the sky out over the ocean, where that wave had been moments ago. That cloud was right there, making its presence known against the blue hues. "And son, wish us luck. This is going to be a close one. The fate of thousands, if not millions, are in our hands. And we don't want to let them down."

He didn't add the words he was actually thinking at the end of that sentence, but they sang out strongly in his mind. "..._Even though that's looking like it might be damn likely."_


	25. Chapter 24: Sleeper Cells

**Chapter 24: Sleeper Cells**

Two bodies. One mind. Two sets of thoughts completely intermingling as if in conversation. Two sets of senses giving information to the one mind. Commands issued to both bodies instructing them on how to act and what to do based on it all. Two bodies which could act in perfect unison or in exquisite combination to see a task was done.

And, on top of all that, a firm mental link to the control cluster that ran this entire cloud.

It was certainly an experience which Batman felt he would never forget. He could still differentiate his thoughts from Diana's, but barely, and she could hear all of them. It was a good job he had long since trained his brain to focus. There were certain type of thoughts which all men experienced that he didn't want to share with her, particularly not now, when they had more important things to do.

Flash and Shayera had already departed for the base of Imperium operations in this cloud. They would be there imminently, ready to make one hell of a distraction. Ready to get the people of Metropolis out of there, to both save them and seriously weaken the Imperium. For Metropolis' sake, that needed to happen fast.

Through the link with the core Batman knew that the assault on the city had begun again. He had seen the Imperium launch it, but there had been nothing that he and Wonder Woman could do to stop that, even if they had Martian aide. The Imperium still had too much mental energy on their side for that. They maybe still would once their human batteries were taken away from them, unless they lost that energy too.

It was time for the Martians to begin their part in the plan.

"J'onn, start the process now," Batman gave that order, though he heard it being issued from Wonder Woman's mouth at the same time as his. "Its time we locked the Imperium from their power. Its time we block _their_ link to the core."

J'onn nodded in response, a nod that rippled back through his fellow Martians. They were all ready for this, they were all ready to do what it took to become truly alive again, even the ones who had been wounded in the Imperium's latest attack. They didn't need any more orders, or any more instructions, not even from J'onn or M'vall. They all just got straight to work, their eyes glowing bright as they knelt, reaching out telepathically to begin the process of creating a heavy duty mental shield around every Imperium they could. Thankfully they were aware enough to form a tight nit group as they did so. There were an awful lot of these Martians relatively speaking, a lot for Batman and Wonder Woman to try to defend on their own.

No doubt the Imperium would pick up on that fact soon. No doubt when they did they wouldn't just sit back and continue to watch. Batman knew that the Imperium would be coming soon, coming to try and kill the Martians before that cage could be created. Wonder Woman knew it too, whether from her own reasoning or from the fact that she could knew everything that he did.

"_How long until they get here, do you think?_"

She didn't ask the question verbally. She didn't have to. Batman heard it as soon as the thought ran through her mind. He responded in a similar manner.

"_Not long. We need to be ready."_

"_We will be, Bruce. Despite how crazy this day has been, we'll be ready. Hera, its only been a few hours since I was sat on the Watchtower thinking it'd be more months before you came back, and then all of this..."_

"_I know, Princess. I know. And after _this _there'll no doubt be even more that we need to discuss. But this thing is not over yet."_

"_Don't I know it," _Diana returned. She said so just as the link showed them a distant reaction from the Imperium, meaning there was no need for her to say any more. Batman and Wonder Woman could both tell that the Martians work had only just begun, but it was apparently enough to have caught the Imperium's attention. They couldn't possibly know what the Martians were up to yet, but it would only be a matter of time. J'onn, the Martians, even Flash and Shayera would have to make the most of what they did have. But Diana summed it up perfectly. _"We really don't have long."_

* * *

><p>With the Imperium using the same control core that Bats and Wondy were now hooked into to drive their assault on Metropolis, it had been easy for Flash and Shayera to get directions to where the bad guys had set up their base camp. To ensure that they got there before the Imperium could use the cloud to move it, Flash had done all of the running, Shay hunched on his back just as J'onn had been earlier. She hadn't been too happy at the lack of dignity to it, but with Flash threatened to not make any quips about it now or ever or else receive a mace to the face she had agreed to it.<p>

And now they were here.

Flash knew that it was all just a mental creation of the Imperium or some doohickey like that, but it still looked an impressive – and _imposing –_ sight to him. It was a flashback that Wally didn't particularly want, too. This base the Imperium had set up, it looked almost exactly like one of their giant, sun-blocking factories from when that other bunch had invaded the Earth before, when they had almost taken the entire world.

But then, despite it all, the Justice League _had _saved the world back then, with just moments to spare. Perhaps it wasn't such a bad thing after all that this was so reminiscent of that day.

Perhaps they had real hope yet.

"Come on, Wally, let's go," Shayera beckoned him on with a steely edge to her voice. She was clearly back in full fight mode. She was definitely mentally ready for this. Since arrival here she had taken to the air, hovering right beside Flash as they both took a second to observe what lay before them. Shayera had clearly seen enough already. With her mace pointing ahead of her, she was gesturing to an entrance half way up the thing. There were many entrances, but with no Imperium anywhere in sight that one would be as good as any. The villains were clearly busy trying to kill everyone to think they needed to defend their home base from a counter strike. Too bad.

Now it was Shay's turn to do all the carrying. Taking flight properly, she had them both heading straight for her chosen opening.

But how long it would take before the Imperium did start defending themselves was anybody's guess. Flash's was certainly that it wouldn't take long.

But just so long as it was long enough for them to get the Metropolis citizens clear, Flash would be happy. It was a shame that he doubted that that would happen.

* * *

><p>This shouldn't take hours, but it wouldn't be done in seconds either, even if it was only temporary. J'onn and all of the other Martians were working together through their telepathy. They weren't anywhere near as completely linked as Batman and Wonder Woman were, but their telepathy gave them enough to do what they had to do. With over a hundred of them around and the Imperium distracted with trying to wipe out Metropolis, they ought to have the mental strength to create the cage precisely according to plan.<p>

The Imperium's link to the cloud's core was deep rooted from hundreds of years of use. Breaking it, no matter how temporarily, would not be easy. It needed all of the Martians to focus. It needed them to ignore the reward awaiting them if they pulled this off, in order to help ensure that they _could _pull this off. Thankfully they seemed able. Five hundred years of hiding, of living only as mental traces was clearly too much for them. The Martians were ready to live again.

And J'onn was helping them to do it. As the only Martian to truly survive – and defeat – the enemy, he was the one that the rest looked up to. He was their leader in the efforts, even more so than M'vall. He was the one who the rest drew strength from.

For he was the one who truly knew that he could trust the others. He was the one who truly knew that all of Earth's heroes would do everything in their power to save the Martians as well as themselves. He was the one who truly _knew _that Batman would live up to his promise.

The Martians just had to seal their end of the equation. Step one was creating a cage. Step two was tracking down every Imperium loose and dangerous in the cloud. Step three, the key, was ensuring that they got all of those Imperium trapped in it, that they got their power removed.

Right now they were already onto step two, but getting there had been the easy bit. This was the part when the Imperium really had the chance to detect what the Martians were up to. This was the part where J'onn was truly glad that they had Batman and Wonder Woman in place to protect them.

This would be the part where the Imperium would almost certainly come to try and kill them.

* * *

><p>The attack on Earth's city went on. The Earth people's army had defeated their tidal wave, but that had just been the distraction to ensure the cloud got safely from the waters. Now it was clear of that ocean. Now the efforts to destroy the city were well and truly in progress all over again. It would take skill, cunning and plenty of raw power to batter through the desperate defences of the ones they knew to be called the Justice League, but they knew that they had plenty of all that in abundance.<p>

They knew that there would be no stopping them. The cloud was _not _something that would need to stop and rest. The Earth heroes were. There was no way that the Imperium could lose this. Overconfidence could have been there weakness, if their confidence wasn't justly deserved.

The Imperium knew exactly what they could do. They had no doubts, not even as they felt that the Martians were attacking again. The Martians were trying to shut out their access to the core. They were trying to block their control. The Imperium couldn't allow that to happen. They would not. They needed that control. They needed it to punish this world, and to then try and track down their fellows who survived their leaders destruction. They needed it as much as they needed to go on living.

And so it was time to take exactly that away from the Martians. It was time for those Martians to die. At long last, their time was up. There would be no escaping this time, no place for the Martians to go and hide. With the Martians utilising their efforts on trying to strip the Imperium's power, the Imperium had some extra capacity. They could afford to send forth their army. Their best soldiers this time.

It was time for the Martians – and any humans helping them – to suffer. It was quite apt really. The Martians had decided to help the Earthlings to try and save their world. Well they could just burn along with that human city.

The Imperium leader _would _be avenged.

And the two Earth heroes they had also just detected entering their encampment could be the first to die.

* * *

><p>They'd made it inside. Shay had set him down straight away as they ventured onwards, and ventured fast. They had countless people to find, and a whole bunch of bad guys to beat.<p>

This place was a total maze. Flash and Shay, carefully sticking together, had been running around in circles already, and there hadn't been any signs of _anybody_. But that could all change quickly. So very quickly.

And it was about to. Flash rounded yet another bend within the organic looking place, leading Shayera all the way. Flash had thought that he had seen just about everything today. After the whole adventure of learning about the cloud in the first place, finding that the Martians were still alive and then the Wondy and Bats incident, he definitely hadn't expected to see anything else today that would make him stop and stare.

But then he saw the moving pictures. He couldn't exactly call it the footage or the film, not when it was no doubt being broadcast by some psychic mumbo-jumbo. But the pictures were there, and they were no doubt live. None of it was something Flash particularly wanted to see.

The cloud was _definitely _out of the ocean. And it was in the city again, causing all sorts of chaos. By heck, they had to stop it now. There was no sound, but the pictures were so vivid that Flash could practically hear the peoples screams.

"We fought it before, Wally," Shayera whispered from beside him. Flash quickly glanced at her, seeing that she was as lost in that imagery as he had been. "The League, on the outside I mean. We might not have found a good way to beat it, but we could hold it off. They can do it again. Superman, Atom... _GL_. They can buy us the time we need to finish this off, but we have to get going."

"Yeah..." Flash muttered back. "Yeah, let's move..."

But they didn't get the chance to move far. Flash had only begun to turn to get on the hunt again when the shot came whizzing in. Thank heavens he was the fastest man alive. Otherwise there was no way in hell that he would have been able to dodge it. Even more thankfully, Flash was quick enough to get Shay out of the shots path too.

But the message was immediately clear, before Flash had even bothered to look up and see them. The Imperium knew they were here. More, they had come to kill them.

Flash didn't wait to react. The corridor they were in was long and narrow, but with his rapid acceleration and phenomenal top speed the Imperium filling both ends of the corridor still couldn't hit him. The problem was Flash hadn't the room to fight on the run. He could take away their range advantage, but he was definitely in a battle.

Shayera was too. Flash had moved her in a hurry, dropping her off at the opposite end of the corridor that he wound up at himself. He wasn't watching her, engaged as he was with the enemy that had just tried to blow his block off, but he had heard her war cry. She had clearly engaged the Imperium who had emerged at the other end of the corridor, just as Flash had predicted she would, surely utilising the power of her mace to help protect herself from any shots sent at her.

But they were both fighting to survive now. The hunt for the Metropolis citizens had just gotten a whole lot more _active_.

Just so long as it hadn't gotten slower. From what Flash had just seen of the outside world, they had to be almost as fast as Flash usually was. But hey, Flash wasn't only _usually _that fast. He had his nickname for a reason after all.

* * *

><p>They had taken roaming, ready positions at either end of the gathering of Martians, both keeping all of their individual senses peeled for any sign that the Imperium were coming. With their linked minds, it meant that they could see all directions at once, that they could keep all of the bases covered to keep the Martians safe.<p>

Batman had a batarang in hand, ready to throw at the first sign of movement. Via the link, he knew that Wonder Woman was also ready, on the balls of her feet and set to take off at a moments notice in any direction, fists primed to unleash the full power of her strength.

The Martians had gone deathly quiet behind them, sinking into the powers of their minds as they got to work trying to cage the Imperium. Batman liked that. It meant he could hear even more of the environment. That he could be even more ready. It had been a few minutes since the Martians had begun their unenviable task. Surely, then, the Imperium would start to recognise that soon. Their attack on Metropolis was dependent on their own link to the cloud's core. They couldn't be senseless enough not to notice when that power started to get taken away.

"_They won't be_," Diana reacted, having heard the train of thoughts that were running through Batman's head, even though he hadn't meant them as conversation. Even the most trained mind couldn't block out everything. "_They may be lost, but they're not stupid. Unfortunately_."

"_Even a stupid killer is deadly," _Batman philosophically returned. It was then that he sensed something through the core. They could not see the Imperium's thoughts by any means, but the core was able to show them when the Imperium utilised its power. Batman only just had time to think a few words between that and the result. "_They're coming, Princess_."

And by the time he had thought that last syllable, the Imperium army had arrived. Scores of them, upon scores, emerging from the ground as their comrades had before them. And not just from any one side. They were coming from all sides. They wanted the Martians dead, the Martians who could do nothing to defend themselves. They meant business, _real _business this time. They meant to end this.

Once again, Diana summed it all up as both Batman and Wonder Woman sprang into action before the Imperium had even become to fully materialise.

"_Then its time to show them they'd have been better staying lost in those crags on Mars."_

* * *

><p>Shayera roared as she swung her mace hard, tearing straight through the nearest Imperium's gelatinous form. There wasn't as many of them there as there could so easily have been but in the cramped space, and with the Imperium's ability to reform their shape, that didn't particularly matter. This fight wasn't an easy one.<p>

Shayera would fight anyone though, and she would never give up. Besides, she had beaten these guys before. She could beat them again.

Through the crowd one of the Imperium tried to hit her with another blast of it's weapon. Shayera saw it coming. She quickly adjusted the mace with an incredible flick of her wrist, getting it in place just in time. The shot deflected off the mace's aura of power, ricocheting straight into another of the Imperium posse. The first bad guy, though, didn't seem to get the message that firing his gun in such a confined space wasn't the best idea. He shot again, but once again Shayera got the mace in to block it away.

However, this time the ricochet didn't hit another of the Imperium. In fact it smashed straight into the floor by Shayera's feet, making both her and the nearest enemies jump out of the way. A trail of smoke was issued forth from the very realistic imaginary realm as the floor smouldered. That meant that, for a second, no one paid attention to the damage that had been done.

Instead, Shayera was too busy ducking out of the way as an Imperium swung a melee blow straight for her throat, also sending out an attack of her own into the villains gut as she evaded. Lashing out, she allowed the mace to embed in the gloop of that Imperium, using it to swing herself around, both tearing that Imperium further in half and unleashing a hard kick against the two nearest cohorts. They both fell, Shayera's mace becoming free as that first soldier was left a puddle at her feet.

Knowing the Imperium's ability to reform, Shayera was careful not to step in it as she readied her poise for her next attack. She even allowed herself to drift back into the smoke coming from the floor, giving herself some sort of cover as she took the merest fraction of a second to choose her next target. It was a good job that that was the move she had instinctively taken. It was doing so that gave her her plan.

Her foot planted exactly where that weapon had struck the floor just moments ago, except it didn't just plant. That shot must have weakened the structure. It was too detailed an imagination to be able to hold up to the blow. The floor was crumbling beneath her feet, not enough for her to fall through, but enough to make an opening to the chamber below.

Shayera didn't look down there for long, but with her hawk-like vision and keen detective skills she was able to see enough in an instant. Prior to the Imperium attack they had been running around this place for too long without finding where they needed to be. Now Shayera had seen it. She had seen where they needed to go.

Through the crack in the floor she could see the glowing red pods down there in a cavern of _vast _proportions. The place was big enough to hold more of those pods than Shayera could actually count. Thinking back a few years, she had definitely seen them before. She didn't need to spot the traces of people inside them to know that the people of Metropolis were inside them, with so many that this place must house _all _of them. She'd found where she and Flash had to go.

But there were still those Imperium in the way. There was just no way around them, and so Shayera would have to fight on to get through. That was why she flung herself back into the battle, swinging the mace hard and fast to smash through the 'heads' of all the Imperium nearby before sliding to the side to avoid a retaliatory blow towards her guts.

That action left her relatively open to another of the aliens. He dove forward, using his altering shape to grasp her from range. He wrapped himself around her, pinning both her arms and her wings to her tight. That wasn't all. He was squeezing hard before Shayera could even try and throw him off, making her already start to feel it getting more difficult to breathe. Worse, she knew that there was no way in hell that she would suffocate. If she allowed this guy to hold her like this, then one of the other Imperium would just shoot her dead long before that would happen.

She had to act while the ones that were in place to shoot her were distracted by the small matter of having taken her mace in their brains. And she had to do something drastic. It was the only way.

Her wings and arms may be clamped beyond movement by the surprisingly strong Imperium, but she could still move her wrists. The mace was still clutched firmly in her grip, the only problem was her own proximity. She would just have to be careful not to hit anything too vital of her own...

With a trademark war cry, Shayera swung the mace with as much force as she could muster. It struck home, hard. It hit the band of Imperium matter wrapped around her midriff, but it also hit hard into her own ribs. The blow was strong, strong enough to make the Imperium release her in its pain. But Shayera also felt plenty of her own pain. Considering she was just meant to be a load of brainwaves right about now, her ribs were sure screaming in pain. She couldn't help but double over. Thankfully she was still aware enough to not leave it there.

She ducked even further, just in time. The other Imperium had finally got back together enough to be pulling their triggers. Shayera hit the deck, the shots flying just fractions away from her still flattened wings, sailing straight into the Imperium's own man.

They were a callous bunch, it seemed. They were utterly devoted to their fallen leader, but it seemed that for each other that was a different story. The Imperium didn't care that they had just consigned one of their own to a final non-existance. Instead, they just continued firing, trying to track Shayera's movement.

Luckily she had seen it coming. She had fought enough bad guys in her time, dealt with enough bands of killers and psychopaths to know that she could never rest on her laurels with them around. She was rolling as soon as she had hit the deck, away from the shots until she was in a position to do something about them.

But even as she rolled, the new plan hit her. The _better _plan. Why hadn't she thought of it before? She'd already established the floors of this place were weak. It was time to usethat.

Shayera flung the mace as she rolled, sending it crashing down ahead, right in her path. Right into that same spot where the shot had hit earlier. It was a gamble. This could have easily not gone to plan. It could easily have gotten her killed. Perhaps another day it would have done.

But not _this_ day. _This _day it worked.

The floor collapsed under the blow, but Shayera didn't stop rolling. She fell as the chasm opened. She fell through it, down into the vast chamber below, the exact place that she was trying to get to. The thing about having unclipped wings, though, is that you never need to be afraid of falling. Shayera had only just gone through the floor before she took flight, hovering there just beneath what was left of it. She was through.

But she wasn't alone in this escapade. Now that she was out of that corridor, there was no one to cover her partner's back. It didn't matter if he couldn't fly himself. She wasn't leaving Flash behind.

"Flash!" she yelled with as much volume as she could muster to make sure the Speedster could hear. He had to hear. "Flash, down here! Run! I've found them! _Flash_!"

Where was he? Hell, for the fastest man alive he was taking his time getting there. Shayera was starting to get worried. He couldn't be dead. He couldn't be–

"Woah!" Flash was screaming as he ran full pelt through the hole. Thankfully Shayera was ready. She had gotten so instantly worried for him that time had practically stood still. Thankfully as the red blur came to view it started moving again. It was just what was needed. Gravity was a great equiliser. Flash may be the fastest man alive, but he couldn't fall as fast as he could run. That gave Shayera all the opportunity she needed. Swooping, she managed to grasp hold of a flailing foot before the man could get out of reach.

The Imperium weren't slow to react themselves. In next to no time they were at the edges of the hole Shayera had made, but flight was a power that they didn't have. Here Shayera held the trump cards. She was flying fast and evasively, heading deeper into the chamber. No doubt the Imperium would be flooding to occupy and guard this place soon, but now that she and Flash were here Shayera knew that they wouldn't need long. After all, Fate and the others had gotten Batman extracted quickly enough before. What difference would it make if they were shifting hundreds if not thousands of people at once instead of one?

"Err Shay, are we were I think we are?" Flash was calling out to her as he dangled down below her, not sounding overly happy at being carried upside down over such a big space with so many people shooting at them, especially when he couldn't run. "Are those big old party balloons actually the funky and unwelcoming holiday homes?"

Trust Wally to have a colourful way of putting it. Shayera actually felt a slight smile forge at the edges of her lips, despite everything.

"Its the people of Metropolis," Shayera filled Flash in with the serious facts. "We've made it. Now we just have to hold out until Fate can get them all out."

But Shayera had only just said the words when she saw Imperium starting to appear inside the chamber, on all sorts of its many levels of access to those rows of pods. Worse, they were all instantly trying to bring their weapons to bear on the still airborne duo. Shayera desperately scanned for some sign of a place where she could set Wally down. Yes, in here flight was probably her best option of staying alive for long enough, but the same wasn't true for the Flash. His speed was by far _his _best option.

Yet still he managed to not lose too much of his trademark joviality.

"You know, this is the first time ever that I wished there was actually someone quicker than me. How long can it take to say '_abra kadabra_' a few hundred times?"

Shayera didn't know what to say to that. She just hoped that it wasn't as long as she feared.

* * *

><p>She still couldn't believe what was happening today. Magic she could handle, but all this sci-fi stuff went clear over her top hat, never mind her head.<p>

But Zatanna hadn't the time now to begin trying to understand it all properly. She didn't even have the chance to reach out and keep an eye out for how Bruce was doing now that he had gone back in there. The League's magicians were all gathered together still, all sat in their empowering circle, all concentrating on what they could sense via their link to Shayera. Plenty was going on inside that cloud, that much was obvious, but the most important event had just occurred.

For it was in that moment that Zatanna suddenly sensed that Shayera and the Flash were no longer alone against the Imperium. She suddenly sensed the presence of scores of other people around them, other _humans_. This was it. They'd found them.

"Everyone, this is it," Dr. Fate made the confirming announcement in his role as head of the circle. "The people taken from this city are now in our grasp. Let us return them to where they belong whilst we have the chance."

Neither Zatanna nor any of the others said anything. They all responded purely via their actions. Dr. Fate had said it right. It was time to bring those people home.

* * *

><p>The two invaders were not dead yet but the Imperium had complete faith in the squad they had sent to end them. Progress was already being made. More time was all that was needed before those two faced their end. The exact same could be said for the city beyond the cloud too. It was only a matter of time.<p>

The Imperium's confidence was strong, just like their power. Just a second later, though, that thought was seeming to have come seconds too early. It was then that they sensed it. It was then that they realised their power wasn't as strong as it had been just moments ago.

It was then that they realised that their human batteries were disappearing. They didn't know how, and they didn't care. They just knew that somehow those two invaders were freeing the Imperium's empowering captives.

They just knew that those two invaders had to be killed before any more power was lost.

* * *

><p>She was embroiled in all sorts of acrobatics but still Shayera was fighting. In between dodging shots she was taking out as many Imperium as she could. Flash, darting around from the bottom level upwards, was doing the same, perhaps even more so. Unlike Shayera he had nothing else to really concentrate on. She had to not only fight, but to make sure that she remained close enough to all of these Metropolis citizens frozen in their pods.<p>

There was no contact with the League magicians who were the real hope for those people. She may have been the anchor that they were using to detect the Metropolis citizens, but she couldn't hear them directing her, couldn't hear any status reports from them. Whatever messaging there was was truly one way. Instead she had to rely on what she could see. That meant just dodging and fighting wasn't enough. It meant that she also had to scout as she flew, to ensure that none of the innocent were missed. They couldn't afford to leave anyone behind. Shayera _wouldn't _leave anyone behind.

It was thanks to that scouting that she was able to see as the citizens began to be taken clear of this place. Even through the red shrouds of their pods, Shayera saw people begin to vanish. She saw as the magicians set them free.

But there was no time to celebrate. She had to fight on. Even as she watched the first humans being taken out of this hell Shayera was hurling her mace through at least four nearby Imperium troops before having to quickly fly away again as shots began raining in.

Things kept going like that for what felt like an age. The fight was so active, so fluid that in truth Shayera began to lose track of it. There were too many enemies, too many near misses and too many battles for her to do anything other than fight them, especially with keeping watch vital too.

But eventually the good news came. Eventually she saw the very last of those red pods empty. The magicians had done it. They had the last man – or woman – clear.

That just left Flash and herself. Shayera knew that they would be out of here soon, but she also knew they couldn't stop fighting. There was no guarantees that it would only take a second for the magicians to take them out of the cloud. Besides, a second might be all that the Imperium needed.

Shayera swooped again. Now that there were no helpless citizens to keep an eye out for she had quickly looked to spot Flash amongst the alien horde. It wasn't hard to see him, the figure of red and yellow fighting with all those blobs of white and black. Even with his speed, the foes were beginning to surround him. Shayera knew that she couldn't let that happen. She had picked out a bunch who had been sneaking up behind Flash as he was literally blowing another group away with a whirlwind caused by his swirling arms. That sneaky bunch weren't sneaking for long. Soon they were left as a mace ridden puddle.

Shayera's howl as she had swung the mace alerted Flash to her presence. He turned to look back at her even offering her a cheeky wink.

"Cheers for the assist, Shay," he called, arms still whirling. "How we doing on the headcount? We down to se..."

Flash's sentence never got finished. He might have still been saying the words, but there was no way that Shayera could hear them. For even as he had been talking, he had gone. He had disappeared from right before Shayera's eyes, fading away into nothing. The magicians had gotten him clear too.

That meant that Shayera was alone here now. With Batman, Diana and the Martians apparently having their own way out, she was the only one left for the magicians to extract. But she still had to survive long enough to _be _extracted.

Seeing Flash be taken clear had caused her guard to drop for only a merest fraction of a second, but it was a fraction long enough to allow the Imperium in. The group she had only just minced had been reforming quickly behind her, but they hadn't bothered becoming the band of individual humanoids as they normally would. In fact, they stayed as a blob on the ground, but that didn't mean they weren't dangerous. Stretching out and still with great strength, they latched hold of Shayera's ankles as she tried to fully take to the air once again. She didn't make it. Off guard and not possessing the Imperium's combined strength, there was nothing she could do to stop the Imperium slamming her down hard into the ground.

The pain hit her hard and fast as she whacked down head first. It took her a second to blink it away and look up again. By then, those Imperium had reformed properly. Worse, they were now all stood over her, each one with their deadly weapons retrieved. They looked so coldly malicious as they all took aim Shayera knew there was no getting out of this one. Too many of them were too close for her to be able to evade or fight them all.

But it was in that exact moment that she felt the first sensation coming to her from those magicians in all of this. They were getting her out too.

It was just a matter of who took her out first. It was just a question of whether she made it back out to the physical world, or whether these Imperium destroyed her mind for good.

She saw the faint red glows emerging from the Imperium's weapons. Then her entire world went black...

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN:**_

_**Review time, friends! Fire them in please!**_


	26. Chapter 25: Awakening

**Chapter 25: Awakening**

The first thing he felt was the pain. He felt like he had been hit by a bus that was carrying fifty overweight elephants, and had _then _gone a dozen rounds with Mike Tyson. All in all that meant that he was slow to open his eyes, that he was slow to realise that he _could _open his eyes.

But eventually things began to dawn on Snapper Carr. Eventually he saw that he wasn't where he had been the last time he had gazed on his surroundings. There wasn't a single Imperium in sight. In fact, he didn't even appear to be in their fortress any more. Though he had to squint, he was soon making out familiar shapes. Soon he was realising that he was back in the helicopter where he had been before the cloud had done..._whatever _it had done to him. The place was a mangled wreck and was safely on the ground now, but he was also safely back in it. He was safely back in Metropolis.

"Snapper! Hey, Snapper, you okay?"

It was the sound of his cameraman calling out to him. Snapper couldn't say for sure, but his best guess was that the other man had just awoken too. Believing that he had just dozed off and it had all been merely a bad nightmare would have been a tad beyond wishful thinking.

"_Bet_... Better than I..._was_," Snapper just about stammered. He clearly hadn't been out long enough to recover from the damage the Imperium had done to him during their 'talk'. He hadn't had a chance to begin to recover. But he was free. He was free, and he was too relieved to put the extent of that relief into words. He knew that he would have some very brave heroes to thank for that.

And it was that thought that made him realise how alone he and the helicopter crew were. Even Lois Lane wasn't in there with them any more, let alone whichever member of the Justice League it had been who had surely come to their rescue. That was what made him glance beyond the helicopter as much as he could, considering it hurt when he tried to move.

When he saw the outline of that energy cloud still looming menacingly over the city, he wished dearly that he hadn't bothered.

* * *

><p>His concentration was firm. It had been ever since they had sent Batman back into the innards of that energy being. He had absolutely no idea what the current situation was regarding that cloud, nor how well Green Lantern, Superman and the rest were combating it. All Dr. Fate knew was that he had hundreds of people to return to their bodies, where they belonged.<p>

And it was a process that was already under way.

On paper that should have proved an impossible feat to accomplish. All those people, coming practically all at once, needing to go into so many separate unidentified locations. It didn't matter how powerful the League magicians were, individually or combined. They needed help to pull it off. Thankfully they had some. Thankfully the equation on that paper had forgotten a key bit of the algebra.

There was a natural way to all things. Ultimately, in times of crises all anyone ever wants is to go home, to go back to the way things were before the bad times began. Even a separated mind was like that. Its natural desire was to find a way back into its body, to put the pieces that had been torn apart back together again. The only issue was that while it may be able to find the way on its own, it both could not start the journey nor end it, not without help. It needed the magicians to rip it from the cloud and then replace it in the body at the other end, ensuring not to lose it on the way. Even knowing where a separated mind wanted to go, there was no way of finding it again if it was ever lost. That was why Dr. Fate and the others had required such concentration for this long, but now the time was here.

Already he could feel the relief, the sense that balance was returning to those lives. Already he could detect people once broken beginning to awaken. They just had to finish the job.

But, as part of that, there was at least one mind that Dr. Fate was worried about. There was one person whom he feared may wake up a mere shell of what she had been, whom they may not have managed to pull clear in time.

Fate and all of the magicians had sensed the blaring heat engulfing her in the exact same second that they were withdrawing her from that place. They knew what it could signify; the Imperium had gotten too close to her. There was every chance that they had sealed her fate. There was every chance that because of that, she would never wake up.

As the last mind returned to its body, Dr. Fate dearly hoped that he hadn't seen the last of Shayera Hol.

* * *

><p>"Hey, Shay! Come on! Your alarm went off five minutes ago! Wake up already!"<p>

She snatched an arm up just in time to catch the slap that Flash was throwing at her face. She was certainly groggy, dizzy too, but she was awake. And for that Shayera was damned relieved.

She had made it, just in time.

"Flash, I'm here!" she growled out, both to calm him down and to make him stop. Literally trying to shake the thudding out of her skull, she heaved herself upwards. As she did so she opened her eyes.

She was in the Watchtower's medical bay, the doctors still scurrying around her. She was quick to shoo them away. Shayera hated appearing weak. Her head ached but she could handle it. She _would _handle it. As for why she was here in the first place, well that made her think, and made her head hurt even more. It had been GL who had been responsible for her body once she was in the cloud. The fact that he had sent her up here spoke a thousand confusing volumes. From what she could see, Batman hadn't been sent up here. They must have left him stationed with the magicians and the rest at the military's base camp. So why hadn't she been left there too? Did GL still care about her, or not? Was he finally getting past his months of awkward indecision, or was this just another step along that long and very winding road to nowhere?

Thank heavens that there was still plenty of reasons for her not to have to think any more about such questions in that moment. She knew that they'd only make her angry at the seemingly apparent answers.

"Come on, Flash," Shayera muttered, pushing herself up further and relieved to find her mace left by her bedside. "Metropolis will still be in trouble, and there's now a whole lot more people who'll be waking up right in the heart of the danger zone."

"Then its a good job they just booked a ride on the Flash train," Wally returned. "Don't worry, Shay. I'll have T get it all programmed in by the time you get there. The race is on!"

* * *

><p>Even with their combined strengths, this time the Justice League had been unable to hold the cloud off as completely as before. This time they had been unable to hold it out there over the waters. This time it had made it back above the city.<p>

But thankfully it hadn't made it _into _the city. Thankfully the Justice League had been able to force it skywards, keeping it distant from the people down below. It was still lashing out, still flinging tentacles of pure, dark energy towards the buildings below and the people in them, but it was yet to hit again. But there were some remarkably near misses as the Leaguers could not stop those attacks entirely. Sometimes all they could do was to deflect them, to put a last ditch effort into ensuring those tentacles did not hit their targets. Luckily that had been enough. So far.

There was every chance that that would not last, particularly with the cloud now being above the city. It had opened its angle up to all of Metropolis. Not only did that put more people in its striking range, but it also meant that the Justice League had a far greater area that they had to protect. Simply put, there was just no way for enough of them to stop that thing if it were to attack the entire city all at once. They were somehow holding it off so far, but even the most heroic and noble of souls tired. There was just no way that this could be kept up for long. There was just no way that they could keep this cloud at bay for long.

But even that wasn't everything. Even up here, right at the heart of all of the chaos and the noise, Superman could hear as the citizens down below began to wake up. All of them, all who had been taken by that cloud during its first attack, all waking up at once. His friends had managed to pull that much off at least.

Right then, though, even Superman was struck by pessimism. All of those people had been left where they had fallen. There was no positive spin to put on it. It had just been decided that they were of minimal priority. There were still plenty of people in the city who the military had _known _had a chance of surviving. It had been them that General Mulligan and the rest had focussed on. There just hadn't been the manpower to protect the fallen as well as those still standing.

But now they were _all _standing. Now there would be scores of people, lost and confused, waking up in the middle of hell. Now there were people waking up in an area which would have been otherwise abandoned by that time. Now there were people waking up who were an easy target for the Imperium menace.

However, as long as he drew breath, Superman would not abandon them. Too many had died under the attacks of this cloud already.

But even Superman couldn't guarantee that more would not be following. The cloud was certainly trying hard to bring that about. An entire chunk of the city was still emptying. Superman could tell that all too well. Apparently the cloud could too. The tentacle of energy was lashing out that way rapidly. Thankfully it wasn't alone in that.

The Leaguers had seen it coming. They were already reacting. The light from Green Lantern's ring was already in place to act as a shield, Doctor Light assisting him similarly, Captain Atom already sending forth a stream of radiation to try and dispel as much of the tentacles energy as he could before that shield was struck.

It was just a shame that this cloud still had some tricks up its sleeves. The tentacle never even reached the Leagues blocking efforts. To Superman's horror the energy halted mid-air dashing back up into the main body of the cloud. Even as it was doing so, a new tentacle was issuing forth from it, this one even _looking _more deadly. Worse, it was coming from completely the other side of the city, well clear of the blocking efforts the League had just put in place. The real attack was coming in.

And it was heading straight for the Daily Planet building.

Superman knew that there were people in there. The place had been one of those hit when the cloud had absorbed a large chunk of the city's populous, meaning that it was one of the places that hadn't yet been evacuated. Of course, those people were now waking up. Perry, Jimmy, all of Superman's colleagues, his friends. All of them except Lois would still be in that place. And now they were all very much at risk.

This was exactly the sort of moment that made Superman eternally grateful he had his powers. He utilised as many as he could all at once, speeding across the cityscape, blasting the tentacle with everything that he had. He knew that the others were trying to do likewise, but he was so focused on the task that he couldn't see what they were doing. Everything was going in slow motion in those moments, almost as if Superman was able to slow time right down on top of all the rest that he could do. He watched as the branch of sparkling fury got closer to the globe-bearing structure. He saw every last line, saw as the energy got close enough to reflect in the already weakening windows...

All of his heat vision, ice breath and the rest stuck just fractions before the tentacle hit the buildings upper floors. If he didn't need to keep unleashing it against that menacing power, Superman would be waiting with baited breath. It wasn't enough to block the thing, but it was enough to deflect it. The tentacle that had been about to play the reaper was now sent spiralling downwards, into the void between buildings and a street that was thankfully empty down below. Superman was already starting to feel the traces of relieved success.

And then things took a turn for the worse. Literally. At the last second, just before slamming into the clear asphalt, the cloud managed to redirect its tentacle. Instead of striking in a place of minimal damage, it hit in just about the worst place possible. All that power, all that energy plunged straight into the base of the structure of the Daily Planet building.

The noise was deafening as glass shattered and concrete crumbled. A large chunk of the bottom floors was literally smashed apart. Not only that, but it sounded almost as if the tentacle had turned upwards before it was done, crashing through the floors on its way before ripping through the walls on its way out.

The building was totally gutted. Superman had heard the screams as some people drew their last breaths.

The shock hit him hard, but he hadn't the time to let himself properly feel it. He knew that not everyone had been killed by that attack. There were still _some _people alive in there, particularly on the upper floors. But that was not going to be the case for long. With the damage to the superstructure, that building was not going to stay standing for too much longer. It was already creaking, already beginning to lean like a tree being hacked down by a lumberjack. Soon the whole building would fall, and it'd take all those people still alive in there with it...

Superman was instantly about to go and help, but the sight of the cloud still looming large above them all made him hesitate. It was going to attack again soon. Any second now, another building, another core of people were going to be put in every bit as much risk as those in the Planet building, and Superman was among the very best hopes that those people had too. He had a choice, a choice of who to save. It wasn't a choice that he enjoyed facing. Thankfully it turned out that he didn't have to make it.

"Superman, this is Arrow," the Leaguer's voice rang out of Superman's comm piece. He sounded distinctly urgent. "I'm in the Daily Planet with Q and Canary, trying to get the folks out. What the hell just happened? We just get to the top floor and then the whole place goes nuts around our ears!"

"Arrow, the buildings been hit!" Superman urgently responded. Even as he did so he was sending blasts of his heat vision against the cloud again, trying to keep it from attacking once again, at least for the moment. "I don't know how much longer its going to be standing! Get the people out of there now!"

"On it!" Arrow responded, the call quickly cutting off at that point. Everyone had too much work to do to hang around chatting.

And as the cloud looked ever more ready to strike at the city again, Superman knew exactly how true that was. Even being as worried for his friends as he was, it was impossible to miss.

* * *

><p>They had only just gotten clear of the lift when the thunder struck. It had been a good job they had too, and a good job they had decided to work this place from top to bottom. The lift car was sent calamitously tumbling down to the bottom of the shaft by the carnage ripping through the building, but thankfully that seemed to be the only damage this high up the Daily Planet tower. The problem was that there had been a lot of damage down the bottom of the structure. Already the supports were groaning. This place wouldn't be standing for too much longer. They had to act fast. A lot of people may have already been killed by the energy cloud's latest blow, particularly on the lower levels, but there were still plenty in here left to save.<p>

That was why they had split up. Green Arrow had taken command. He'd personally taken the top floor and would work down, despitching the others to go back from where they'd just come immediately. Question could handle the middle bunch of floors, leaving Black Canary to clear out the bottom floors. They would be the least stable ones, but they'd also be the ones far closer to an escape from this place. She hadn't liked it, but Green Arrow had used his command of the situation to ensure that that was where his pretty bird would have to go.

He could already hear the people screaming. The magicians' had gotten those mentally taken from the city before all woken up again. That was why Green Arrow and the other two had targeted the Daily Planet in the first place, knowing that there would be a lot of disoriented people awakening from their unwanted naps. Now those people would be scared _and _disoriented.

But even as Green Arrow ran around the corridors, helping everyone he came across to their feet and the emergency exit stairwells, he knew things were about to get worse. The cloud's tentacle may be out of the building, but it was still doing damage. His school physics days may be long behind him, but Green Arrow still remembered that a sudden burst of energy into matter certainly warmed things up a touch. Well right now things were getting warm already. In fact, the whole place was catching fire.

And it was already starting to come through the floors.

He only just managed to dive backwards in time as the floor collapsed in front of him, flames and smoke already rippling upwards. He could already begin to feel the warmth coming at him, which was a major problem. Up to this point Green Arrow had been able to simply instruct all the awaking people to get out of there. Now there was every chance that there was no way out for a lot of people, a lot of people that Green Arrow _had_ to get out. Shame, then, that he couldn't fly.

But that didn't mean he couldn't get across. He was quickly grasping into his quiver, going for one of his trick arrows. At a rush he fired it across the crevice that led to the flames below, over to the other side. He wasn't pausing before hooking the other end of the line safely and securely in place on this side. He was pausing even less prior to swinging his way across the line.

Green Arrow didn't look down as he went, but he felt the heat even more. Clearly there was something on the floor below that burnt hard and fast. Arrow only just cleared the gap in time before a column of flame shot up behind him, snapping his line in twain. Thankfully he was already in place to simply drop to the intact bit of flooring with feline style grace.

But he could hear the floor creaking as he did so. Just because this bit was still intact now, it didn't mean that that was going to last. He had to act fast. The screams for help coming from further ahead enforced that even more. Arrow surged forwards, recognising where he had to be first. Leaping over toppled desks, he made it into the office.

"Hey! Is anyone out there? Olsen? That you? Anybody! I'm stuck in here! Someone get me out!"

It was a man shouting, an older, more rotund man who was clearly used to being in control. Green Arrow was able to deduce that this guy must have been the Daily Planet's editor Perry White, but that didn't matter. Regardless of who it was, they needed his help.

The shout had been clear, but that didn't mean that it wasn't weak. Now that he was in the room, Green Arrow was able to reason why. There was blood, plenty of it, pooling from around the man's temples. When the cloud had taken him, White must have fallen, smashing his head against the corner of his desk on his way down. That would leave him very groggy, very weak. It would mean that he was hardly likely to be in a position to walk out of here, even if the building wasn't on fire and due to collapse at any moment.

"Don't worry fella, the cavalry's here," Green Arrow informed White as he rushed closer, bending down to hoist the guy up, draping the heavier guy over his shoulders as much as he could. Green Arrow could only hope there weren't more up here in White's condition. He hadn't the strength or the shoulder space to carry anyone else.

It was a shame that that was a completely moot point. There was a massive groan throughout the entire building. A second later, everything seemed to be falling. The entire place tilted, Green Arrow having to fight hard to maintain the balance of two at once. In that moment he was absolutely convinced that the entire place was going, that their time was up. He was incredibly relieved when the place seemed to catch itself a moment later, halting its slide at an angle not too steep for him to walk.

Yet the signal was clear. The Daily Planet building was going. There was no halting it. It was just a matter of time, especially with that big globe on top weighing everything down. They had to get out of there. Now.

Easier said than done. The building beginning to fall had done more than give the floors a slope. It had weakened the structures even more than they already had been. A crack had emerged in the floor of the office, right between Arrow, Perry and the door, a crack that was rapidly growing. A new crevice had just opened up, right in the path of their only way out of there. And it was more than just an obstacle. It was a passage for the flames below to shoot upwards. Plenty of flames.

"Err, buddy, is there any other way out of here?" Arrow quickly asked the man in his arms as he rapidly scanned the room. He needed a plan fast. Unfortunately he wasn't getting one. His other zipline arrows wouldn't help. He couldn't carry Perry swinging on one of them.

"This place wasn't exactly built with this in mind, my boy," White grimly informed him. There was a note of resignation in his voice. Arrow didn't like the sound of that. "Even the health and safety nuts didn't see this one coming."

But he still liked the sound of it more than the explosion. Already Green Arrow was having to fight to stop himself and White slipping into the firey pit before them. When even more of the floor went around them, there was no stopping it any more. The flames didn't take them directly, but they had done enough. They knocked Green Arrow clean off his feet, sending White flying too.

They were both sliding fast towards hell. Green Arrow desperately grabbed for any kind of handhold, anything that could save his life, but there wasn't one. There was nothing to grab onto. His eyes widened far as he stared into the fiery death that was about to take him...

Only it never came. Right at the last second, both Green Arrow and White were hauled from their slide to damnation, upwards into the air. It didn't stop there either. Both of them were immediately carried out of the building's already smashed windows, setting down seconds later several towers over. They were practically already there before Green Arrow realised who it was that had swooped in to save his life.

Shayera.

"You two both all right?" the Thanagarian was immediately asking. Despite the adventure she had just been through, she looked completely focussed as if it had just been all in a days work. Then again, for folks like them it probably was. There was no such thing as an ordinary day for their types, and this day certainly classed as out of the ordinary.

"I'm fine, but he could do with seeing a medic," Green Arrow responded for both of them, indicating Perry's head wound. Even as he was talking he was looking across the city once again, back to the easily recognisable Daily Planet. Now that it was leaning more than the Tower of Piza it was even easier to differentiate than ever before. Especially as that lean was getting even more enhanced by the second.

Even more, and then even more, and then a bit more on top of that...

Green Arrow watched to his horror as the foundations could hold it no longer. What had moments ago looked like a tree being felled suddenly became reminiscent of the losing move in a game of Jenga. The entire building, proud as it had once been, collapsed in on itself. Dust and smoke was thrown everywhere, along with huge chunks of rubble. It was a spine chilling thing to see.

The tower had fallen. If anyone had still been inside it, they were dead. If anyone had been _too close_, they were dead. Green Arrow couldn't help but feel scared. Scores of people had been in there, Question had been in there. _Black Canary _had been in there...

It was a good job that the Flash's uniform was such a vivid red. If not then Green Arrow didn't know how long it would have taken him to realise the truth. It was as he stared, as he watched that dust cloud expand that he spotted them. Like Shayera, the Scarlet Speedster had been freed from the cloud's innards, and had come to help them try to save the day. He, too, had made it just in time. Just as Shayera had been able to get Green Arrow and White clear, so had Flash managed to get Canary, Q and every one else he could out before the whole place came down around their ears. What was more, at his speed he had gotten them all more than just out, he had gotten them clear of the carnage too.

But still, Green Arrow had no way of knowing how many people even the Flash hadn't been quick enough to save. Regardless of how relieved he was to see so many – and admittedly one in particular – safely out of there, he still felt the immediate grief of knowing that there wasn't as many as there could – and perhaps should – have been.

Today was a very bad day.

"I'll get him to help," Shayera broke the silence that had fallen upon them as the Daily Planet had imploded. It was abundantly clear that time was playing on her mind, that she was forcing things to happen, even if she didn't particularly feel ready for them too. She was doing what they had to do. What they all needed to do. "You start getting this building cleared too. Batman and Diana are working on ending that thing, but we have to buy them time."

"On it," Green Arrow immediately concurred. Every word she said was right. Watching the smoke still issuing from the rubble confirmed that all the more. "Get back here as soon as you can, though. Even if there's only seconds left in that thing, I get the feeling we're still going to need as much help as we can get down here. Otherwise this city is going to burn, and all its folks'll go down with it."

* * *

><p>It didn't really matter how many people had been in that tower, or how many had been evacuated before the whole thing fell. The point was that it <em>had <em>happened. The point was that all of those people _could have _been so easily killed by it. That could not be allowed to happen again. This thing _had _to be stopped. At all costs, it _had _to be stopped.

That was why General Mulligan was so glad that the call started coming in before the dust had even begun to settle across the city.

"General Mulligan, it's Colonel Anderson, Sir, Major Breckman's commander" a fresh voice was ringing forth into Mulligan's earpiece. "Sir, the engineers report that the missile is ready to launch. But, Sir, we're hearing that that energy cloud has managed to position itself over the city again. I know what you ordered the Major, but given the circumstances and what will–"

"Stop right there, son!" Mulligan was soon barking down the comm. He had heard enough. His orders should have been enough the last time. Now they were just wasting seconds a lot of people may not have. "I know _exactly _what will happen. I _saw _those people die the last time. But many more will die if we _don't_ launch that missile, right now! So, Colonel, fire the damn rocket!"

"Aye, Sir," Anderson's voice issued back over the comm line. It then went silent for a few moments, before Mulligan was convinced he heard a familiar sound in the distance from the other end. The sound of jets firing. Then the Colonel was talking again, confirming what Mulligan had already managed to ascertain. "The missile is away. It won't be long until it hits the target. But for the record Sir, I don't like this."

"Don't worry, son. I won't forget," Mulligan was growling back before silencing his comm. He respected his subordinates stand for the people who may get in the way when the missile tore that cloud apart as Superman and Captain Atom refused to do, but he loathed the other man's time wasting, his ineptitude for the tough calls. He would make sure all the higher ups knew of that.

But for now there were more important things to deal with. Looking back across the city through the dust, he could still see the cloud looming large, the Justice League doing absolutely everything that they could to keep it at bay. It just re-affirmed his decision. It was time for that thing to die. Better to lose one city to stop it than a hundred, or perhaps even the whole world.

Yet he still had his teams out there in that city, trying to get as many people clear of the danger as they possibly could. Right now, that included themselves. The missile would not take long to arrive. It was time to get everyone out of there that had the chance to make it.

Mulligan stepped across the base camp until he was looming over one of the radio officers issuing instructions and receiving feedback from all the teams that were in the city. He paused only slightly before giving the command.

"Lieutenant, order everyone to pull out. They're to bring with them everyone that they can carry but I want every soldier out from under that cloud's shadow. Now. A payload is about to be dropped on it that will take out that bloody thing and everything else that gets in its way. I want that to be as few of our boys and girls as possible, but we're not waiting around. We're about to end this thing, once and for all."

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN:**_

_**Time for those reviews again. Throw them my way like there's no tomorrow, please!**_

_**Stay tuned for the next installment and all. Bats and Wondy are going to be getting back in on the action. Didn't think I'd forgotten about them did you?**_


	27. Chapter 26: Ghostbusters

**Chapter 26: Ghostbusters**

The Imperium were coming, but J'onn couldn't worry about that, nor could any of the other Martians. He made sure they received and understood that message. It was vital. They needed to focus, to concentrate on their task, instead of letting fear back in again.

The cage was ready to go, they just had to ensure that it encapsulated every single Imperium soldier once the bars were sealed. That was the only way that they could be sure that the Imperium wouldn't be in a position to interfere with the rebirth of the Martian race beyond a lone survivor. It was what they needed to do to ensure they could live again.

J'onn knew that they were closing in, but this was an all or nothing job. The cage couldn't be stretched out for more of them once it was already in place. They had to get this right first time. The problem was how long that might take. With no other way to change things, J'onn had to believe that his faith was well placed to see them through this. That included faith in himself and his Martian brethren to get the job done. But more than that, it was referring to his faith in his friends.

Wonder Woman and Batman were the last line of defence. And it was a line that had to hold, for however long it took.

* * *

><p>They were here. Thankfully Batman had had patience enough for two. That meant that at the first sign of the Imperium's arrival, both he and Diana were still perfectly primed to pounce.<p>

The batarang was flung from his hand at the first sign of the white creatures forming. By the time that they were starting to finally come together, it blew. The explosion tore through the entirety of the first bunch, buying Batman that bit more time. Likewise, through their link Batman could see as Wonder Woman pounced on the Imperium emerging close to her, flying the short distance to them and pummelling the closest ones apart before they had even fully formed.

The next wave of the fighting had begun. The Imperium were coming to try and kill the Martians. They were coming to try and stop the efforts of J'onn and his fellows. That could not be allowed. Batman and Wonder Woman would make a stand. And it was time to put that shared link of theirs with the cloud's control core to further use.

The lights had practically gone out the second that the Imperium had started to arrive. They had learned their lessons from last time. They were keeping things dark enough that Batman knew any efforts to light things up would at best just get things back to normal. There would be no defeating the Imperium with light this time. Luckily that wasn't his plan. He was adaptable.

They couldn't create it before the Imperium arrived. If they had done there would have been no guaranteeing they would have put the thing in the right place. Now that the Imperium were coming, it was time to throw up the barricades.

The idea already being present in his mind, all it took was for Batman to pass the final instruction on to the core. That was done in no time. It emerged from out of the ground even faster than the Imperium were doing, but growing with a remarkable silence and stillness. They stretched up for high enough, effectively building an encampment all around the circle of close knit, meditating Martians. The dome atop it and the floor beneath it only added to the security. With the shared minds of both Batman and Wonder Woman feeding the protective shell, what had once been an open field was now completely shielded. Before it had taken a complete focus to create light. Now, thanks to the merger between each other and the one with the core, Batman and Wonder Woman could keep this barricade alive by hardly having to think about it. The Imperium may have arrived, but that didn't mean they were any closer to bringing about the Martians' end.

Of course, even with their link to the core the minds of Batman and Wonder Woman would not be enough to withstand the full force of the Imperium should it be turned on the barricades. Batman had accounted for that. That was the beauty of this barricade. There were openings, two of them. They weren't big ones, but they were enough, enough to keep the Imperium's attention. And should the Imperium stop focusing on them, then the barricade could easily roam, adapting to where the Imperium were attacking instead. There were only two ways inside the barricade, and there would only _be _two ways.

Two ways that Batman and Wonder Woman could now defend. Before it would have been easy for the Imperium to get by them to the Martians. Now they had to get _through _them.

Wonder Woman was more than ready for the fight, Batman could feel that. But he hardly needed to feel her emotions to be inspired either. The Imperium were coming, thick, fast and in force.

It was time to end this.

* * *

><p>Wonder Woman didn't stop fighting to admire the barricades Batman had just thrown up with the help of some of her brain power. She could see it all well enough through his eyes. She knew that it was there to help them win the fight. Pausing would do nothing to aid that effort.<p>

Only seconds had passed by since the first signs of the Imperium's arrival, but now there were scores of them around, far too many for Wonder Woman to have the time to count them. Thankfully most of them were irrelevant. Most of them were blocked out by the barricade. As for the rest, well that was where she and Batman came into play. She only had to fight the urge to dive right in to the heart of the Imperium and take them on for their midst. Instead she had to hold her ground. She had to stay here and keep the Martian's safe.

It didn't take long for the Imperium to realise attacking the barricade was fruitless. Either Wonder Woman or Batman saw it from their eye corners – she didn't know or care which of them it was. The Imperium's destructive efforts, even those that did some damage, were fruitless. Whenever the barricade looked like breaching, its connection to Batman and Wonder Woman's now joint subconscious saw that it was rebuilt, that it stayed firm. The Imperium were _not _going to get in that way.

They wouldn't get in any other way either, not while Wonder Woman was still standing. And she knew that Bruce was thinking along similar lines at the only other entrance. The fight was ongoing, both ends a blur of action. Wonder Woman was hardly paying attention to the actual details of it, at least not to the degree of remembrance. She was just too lost in the motions. The Imperium seemed desperate to get past, to see the Martian's dead. Shots and punches were flying in from all directions, but thankfully so far Wonder Woman was proving up to the task. Her bracelets were keeping at bay everything that was coming at her, her punches destroying every opponent who drew too close, the puddles of goo resulting from them forced to pull back. _Nothing _was getting past her.

And across the way, beyond that central pool of Martians, Batman was standing firm too. She could see it all, could read the tactical thoughts pouring through his mind as he engaged his own batch of the evil aliens. Despite the circumstances, Wonder Woman actually felt quite privileged to be able to claim that. She had heard all the stories, she had _seen _him in battle, but to actually completely witness _how _he did it was remarkable. Wonder Woman wasn't modest enough to forget her own tactical nous, but she also knew that she so often had her powers and strength as a fall back position. Batman didn't have that, and yet he was still such a warrior. He didn't even have the protective bracelets as Wonder Woman did. That was why he was even more in motion than she was, keeping the Imperium lured in close to take their weapons out of play and bring his own skills into it. Using all sorts of martial arts, all the Imperium at his side of the barricade were being beaten apart too.

Or almost all. Because Batman hadn't got the defence that Wonder Woman had, he couldn't stand as deep in the barricade. He had to be closer to the Imperium. That meant there was a gap. A small gap mind, and one Batman was doing a great job of keeping shut. Unfortunately the Imperium had other ideas. They were organised themselves. Even as she was engaging her own set of the villains, through the link Wonder Woman could see it unfolding through Batman's eyes. He was surrounded, engaging multiple Imperium all at the same time. That meant there was nothing he could do without leaving himself open to get killed, nothing he could do to stop the Imperium that was sliding its way along the edge of the barricade and through the opening, towards the defenceless Martians...

But through the link Wonder Woman saw it happening. She saw the Imperium getting through. She felt Batman's desperation to make an opening so he could take that soldier down, along with his inability to do so.

And she also knew that Batman felt the sense of hope she was sending his way.

In one smooth motion, she spun, sending one arm up and flailing to smash apart the two Imperium nearby. At the same time her other hand darted up to her own head, whipping her tiara free. By the time she had completed her spin – less than a second – she was flinging it with all of her might and skill.

Wonder Woman hadn't the time to watch it herself. With those last two beaten more Imperium were attacking, more shots to parry off of her bracelets and send right back at the shooters. But Batman could see. As he finally got those Imperium off of his back, his eyes showed them both as Wonder Woman's tiara ripped that Imperium in half just moments before it could kill the nearest Martian. A sonic batarang made sure it wouldn't be getting back up quickly to try again.

But that wasn't the only batarang that Batman threw. Once more Wonder Woman punched the Imperium off of her on the spin, this time to catch the tiara which was arcing back her way. She had thought she had done enough to buy herself the moment to make the catch. Moving to finish off the Imperium had shown Batman that she was wrong. There was one Imperium that she had missed, one who was now moving to shoot her down with her back turned. Even with Wonder Woman seeing this now courtesy of the mental link, she knew that she couldn't spin back quick enough to protect herself. Batman, of course, knew that too. That was what the second batarang was for. The explosive one stuck in the Imperium just as he was about to fire. The resulting blast made sure he never had the chance to.

Wonder Woman silently thanked Batman, though he was too focused on his fight again to respond. Wonder Woman was herself soon too fully back in the throws of battle to think of anything else either. The fight was still going. These Imperium were not going away any time soon.

But, hopefully, J'onn and the Martians wouldn't be needing that much longer.

* * *

><p>She could sense the Imperium throughout the cloud. She knew they had located practically all of those who were swept up as the Martians transcended so many years ago. And she could sense just how close so many of them were. Coupled with exactly how well she knew how dangerous they also were, that wasn't a pleasing thing to recognise by any means.<p>

But M'vall had made the decision to cast off the fear when she had led the Martians back into the Earth's fight for survival, and that couldn't be cast aside right now. _Especially _right now. Now they had something worth risking their lives for. Now they had the chance to _have _lives again. After living in fear, living without a physical presence for centuries, M'vall was definitely starting to think that death would not be as bad as failure. Living, _truly_ living again, was just too tempting.

And so she would share the faith J'onn J'onzz was offering. She would follow his lead in trusting the Bat Man and the Wonder Woman to keep them safe.

But fear was not something that was easy to overcome, not completely. M'vall would be lying if she said she wasn't worried. Centuries of being afraid of what the Imperium would do should they locate the Martians was not easily cast aside. She kept that fear to herself, just as she could tell her fellow Martians were doing, especially at J'onn's motivation, but it was still there. That was why M'vall was so eager to get the job done.

And they were very nearly there. They just needed a few more moments, minutes at most. They just needed for the Imperium to be kept at bay for that little bit longer.

But that wasn't likely to be an easy task.

* * *

><p>Even those who were distant could detect that they were in trouble. That the Imperium did not like. They would not break off their assault on the Earth city, not in the slightest, not when the place was beginning to fall. One tower had already toppled. Another was soon to follow, along with countless of the people on the streets beneath. That meant that they had no more resources to lend to the efforts to bring death to the Martians, but it didn't mean that they were giving up. They knew that that was <em>not <em>an option. The Martians were getting closer in their efforts to strip the Imerpium of their power over the cloud, a power the Imperium were by no means ready to give up.

It was time for some more drastic measures. The current assault was too slow, especially with those barricades that they just could not get through the old fashioned way. It was time to speed things along.

It was time to display the full potential of their abilities, both before _and _after the cloud. It had to be.

It had to be the time when the Martian race was finally wiped out.

* * *

><p>Leaping upwards, his left shoulder tucked in, Batman acrobatically rolled over the nearest Imperium soldier's shoulders, driving a standard batarang down into it as he acted. That Imperium fell, literally torn in half. No doubt it would reform soon, but soon was not now. Now, Batman was flinging the batarang deep into the heart of the next nearest foe, cutting it down as well. As he landed, another Imperium stood before him, swinging an extended punch towards where Batman's head now was. By the time that attack reached though, his head had moved. This time he ducked low, swiping a straight arm through the Imperium's midriff, cutting it in twain.<p>

He was just standing to come around and take on the next one when he noticed it. Well, truth be told Diana saw it first, but thanks to the link Batman recognised it in that same moment. It meant there was no next Imperium there for him to take on. They were melting away again, they same as they had done before while on the retreat. Batman, however, was sure that they _weren't _retreating. He was suspicious from the off. The Imperium would surely know by now what it was that the Martians were doing. They had already proved that they were not about to give up their rampage, their power. It made no sense for them to retreat now, no matter how unsuccessful they were being thus far. No, they were planning something. They were _up to _something.

"_I take it we're maintaining position, then," _Wonder Woman's thoughts rang out in his mind, clearly having just heard his own. It was a statement far more than it was a question. Through the link Batman could see her holding ground at her entrance through the barricades. He could also see the Martian's still silently working away in between them. But, no matter what, his focus had to remain on what lay beyond the barricade, on what the Imperium's next move was going to be. They would be coming back, and he would be ready for them when they did. There could be no distractions, no matter how pleasant they were. It was moments like this one that those eight months away in training were proven worthwhile.

"_Until the moment that we know that we don't have to," _Batman pointed out through his own thoughts. _"Stay prepared Princess. They'll be coming back in some manner. Be sure of it."_

His timing couldn't have been more apt. It was in that moment when he saw the first signs. Wonder Woman saw it too, even with the barricade obscuring both of their views. The whiteness of the Imperium was back, draining upwards through the sands. However, this time they weren't raising all across the way around the barricade. This time they weren't forming up individually. This time it was forming as one, big creature. Made up of all the individuals, of course, working with all of the individual minds. Not the kind of link Batman and Wonder Woman had, but physically united. The Imperium possessed the ability to alter their shape, to become nothing more than a puddle should they wish. Two puddles were so easy to mix together. Having scores of them made that no more complex. It just made it a damn sight bigger.

And right now, the Imperium had become one _big_ monster.

Taller than the barricades and almost as thick, and still it was growing. Already Batman was craning his head skywards to watch the thing form. He took note of _how _it was forming. He took note of its shape. It had grown arms, beastly arms, arms that looked capable of doing some serious damage, that looked strong enough that Batman doubted even Wonder Woman could hold them off. On top of all that, a lone Imperium was clearly formed atop the growing monster, the leader of the whole thing, the chief lookout among scores of watchful, vengeful eyes. At the sight of it, Wonder Woman sent Batman one more thought out message.

"_Well... _That's _new."_

It summed things up rather well. It voiced all of the shock and awe of what they were seeing, but it was also full of determination. Diana was far from ready to give up, no matter what was thrown at them. Despite that being no surprise, Batman felt proud to hear it. However, he had no time to issue a reply.

Finally the creature, the _Mega-Imperium_, ceased to grow, at least fifteen metres tall. That was the immediate signal. As soon as it was fully formed, it attacked. Scores of Imperium blended together soon came smashing down. Only it didn't hit the barricades. It struck the ground, masses of the thing. Even beings made of goo weighed plenty when they were joined together like this. The sands of the faux environment were sent flying. But that was only the start of things. Both "arms" were raging onwards in no time, charging towards the two entrances through the barricade like a pair of runaway trains.

Batman could spot their plan. Of course he could. They still wanted to see the Martians dead. They couldn't get to them the traditional way. Instead they were going to bulldoze their way past the Martians' defenders. They were going to pummel their way through Batman and Wonder Woman in a way they couldn't so easily stop. Hell, they could well be planning to simply _drown _the entire group of Martians within their liquified bodies, there was so much of them racing towards the barricade. But Batman wasn't about to let that happen. Wonder Woman wasn't going to either.

He might have stood no chance in holding all that mass off, not when a lone Imperium was stronger than he was. Even Wonder Woman would likely struggle. But there was something that did have a chance. It was time to utilise the power of the cloud's core even more.

Batman did not even have to think the instructions. Wonder Woman simply read the plan running through his mind. She had taken off at the exact same moment that he used the grapnel to launch himself up towards the ceiling of the barricade, both of them getting out of the way of the Imperium mass that was rapidly surging their way. But that wasn't all. A simple thought from each of them as they both rose was enough. It was enough to seal off those last entrances. It was enough to ensure that the surging Imperium mass had nowhere to go but splat into a solid wall.

Just so long as the now complete barricade would hold...

The mass struck, hard. The entire barricade shook beneath Batman's feet as he stood upon it. He kept his balance though. Just. The barricade held too. _Just._

This time anyway. The Imperium were by no means done. Already they were winding up to go again. Batman was already running the calculations in his head. No matter how much he and Wonder Woman sured it up via their connection to the core, the combined strength that the Imperium were now throwing at it would soon prove enough, especially with their own link to the core not yet broken. There was only so much concentrating that Batman and Wonder Woman could do. They had to give the barricade a helping hand, at least until J'onn and the rest of the Martians were done.

"_Plan?_" Wonder Woman was quick to think the question, keeping it short. Batman could tell that she was itching to dive straight in there, to match strengths with this thing and to try and literally hold one of those _arms _off. It was only the fact that she would have already heard the workings of Batman's mind that was making her not to exactly that. He knew what the key was, what they had to do. The Imperium had found a new source of great strength by coming together. To take that strength away from them, they would need to be torn apart.

Or, more accurately, _blown _apart.

"_Plastique," _Batman gave Wonder Woman her answer, hand instinctively falling towards the compartment of his belt where he had plenty of the explosive stored. He didn't have to think through the rest of the details. Wonder Woman instantly understood, all of it. "_You've got my back?"_

Diana's response was simple. "_Always._ _Go."_

She was instantly acting on her own word, before Batman ever had the chance to do so himself. She dove downwards, punching through into the side of one of those masses of Imperium just moments before it smashed into the barricade all over again. That one she managed to hold off, for now. There was nothing she could do just now to stop the other one. Once again, the barricade was buckling. Thankfully, once again it held, but it wouldn't much longer. Things had to move quickly.

Wonder Woman was the perfect distraction. Through her eyes Batman could see as that arm diverted. It didn't target the barricade again. Now it was going after her. Exactly according to plan.

Wonder Woman flew, hard and fast. The mass of the Imperium had narrowed, focusing on one person instead of an entire wall. Diana was ducking and weaving, zigging and zagging, flying around and trying to tie the thing in knots. It was chasing her all of the way, everywhere she flew. Including right to where Batman laid waiting.

The arm slammed right into the upper edge of the barricade a mere metre from Batman's feet as Wonder Woman flew to within touching distance of him. Batman didn't so much as see but feel her smile as she dove by, continuing her flight. She'd given him the opening that he needed.

He'd leapt a mere heartbeat before that arm had struck, late enough to feel the impact reverberate through the air. The arm, though, hadn't the time to move before Batman landed, right on top of it. He had scrambled his way far along it before the Imperium within seemed to realise that he was there.

Long ago he had been trained to walk on even the thinnest of ice, to perfectly mind his surroundings. Now that training was being put to perfect use. The Imperium below could make themselves solid enough, but they could also become practically liquid. Right now, they were doing the latter, as much as they possibly could without giving up the rest of the fight. They were trying to trap him inside of them, trying to make him sink and drown within their bulk. It was an effort that Batman was determined to see fail.

He ran cleverly, scurrying around every solid patch beneath his feet, using the sensors in his cowls lenses as his guide. The arm was still moving beneath his feet, twisting, turning. But it couldn't throw Batman loose. Every time it tried to twist him free, Batman saw it coming and was able to adjust his feet. In only seconds, he was practically at the body of the mass, practically exactly where he needed to be.

Right on time too. The other arm was slamming into the barricades all over again. It made the entire structure shake, right to its roots. The whole place felt like falling apart. Huge cracks appeared in it. It was almost gone. The core knew it too. The feedback was intense. The cracking barricade threw back energy at the core that formed it. In turn, the core threw it back to what was making the barricade in the first place – the minds of Batman and Wonder Woman.

Batman felt like screaming, it hit his mind so strongly. It was like being struck with the entire pains of a day's migraine within the space of a few seconds – short-lived but still just as damaging. It was enough to distract him for just long enough for the Imperium to strike. Batman managed to cling on to the mass, but that was all that he could do in those seconds. He certainly couldn't fight back as the Imperium emerged from amongst the mass around him, at the ready to finish him off...

Thankfully Wonder Woman was more resilient. There were occasionally times when Batman was genuinely glad that metahumans had their powers. This was one of those moments. Even with his pain, Batman could feel the benefits of her resilience, could feel as she was able to overcome her own hurt.

And he could see as she hurled her tiara and sliced apart those Imperium who had been about to kill him.

The pain was gone as quickly as it came. In no time Batman was on the move again, silently thanking Wonder Woman as he did so. She was back on the move again, back trying to keep those arms of the Imperium mass distracted. With the barricade protecting the Martians almost destroyed, that was more important than ever. It also made it more important than ever for Batman to reach the head of the Imperium mass as soon as possible. He had to destroy this thing, _now_.

He surged onwards. Now that their latest attempt had failed, the Imperium were trying more than ever to stop him. Hands were emerging from out of the great mass of their conjoined bodies now, grasping out for his ankles, trying to do whatever they could to halt his charge. None of those efforts managed it. In fact, quite often Batman simply trod on those hands, stamping them back into the mass. He was now practically there. He was now practically in place to end this thing. He was on the shoulder of the mass. He was so ready that he had already pulled the plastique from his belt, ready to plunge it deep into the Imperium bunch...

Unfortunately, the Imperium's timing was perfect, from their point of view. Barely a second before Batman's hand rammed down into the mass of gelatinous material, it struck the barricade all over again with one of those arms. Wonder Woman had tried to stop it, but even she couldn't hold all that at bay. All that mass, all that power, crashed into the already weakened imaginary barricade. This time it was too much for it to be able to withstand. This time, the barricade fell. There were no pieces, there was no crumbling, the entire mass was simply gone.

The only upside was that the barricade vanished in a flash of light, a flash big enough that the Imperium's mighty arm was forced to retreat back for now. But that was the only upside, and even that was only short-term.

The pain before had been intense, but this made it look gentle. This time, with the complete annihilation of the barricade, it felt like his head was exploding from the inside. Once again, it didn't last long, but once again it was still long enough. Once again it was distracting enough. Even the Batman couldn't concentrate through all of that to continue plunging in the plastique. Even Batman couldn't concentrate enough to prevent the Imperium mass recoiling to the extent he was thrown clear.

Whether it was an effect of that brief light or by design, the Imperium had thrown him off of the mass. Batman guessed it was the former, otherwise the Imperium would have tried to kill him again. The thing was, now that he was falling that didn't matter. Now that he had failed to get the plastique into that thing, that didn't matter.

But he wasn't done. None of this was done.

* * *

><p>Wonder Woman saw it unfold, through both sets of eyes. The barricade was broken and the Imperium had stopped Batman destroying their conglomerate. The Martians were open now, and they were still too busy focussing on their own task to be able to defend themselves. Everything looked like it was falling apart. Everything looked like the Imperium were about to win.<p>

But looks could be deceiving.

Wonder Woman flew as fast and as directly as she could. Up until that point her job had been purely defensive, trying to hold the Imperium off as best as she could. Now it was time to go on the attack, not least of all because Bruce needed her.

He was in free-fall, plunging down fast from the pinnacle of the Imperium's height, yet she could tell that he wasn't worried. He knew that she was coming. He knew that she wasn't going to let him fall. He knew that with her, he was safe. Wonder Woman heard it in his thoughts. It showed just how far he had come in these last months.

But now wasn't the time to explore all of that. Now was the time to act.

She made it just in time. The sands of the ground were thrown up by the rush of the air as she soared past so close to it, but it didn't matter. All that mattered was that she made it. All that mattered was that she had managed to catch Batman in time. He was safe.

But the Martians weren't. Not yet. The flash of light had been enough to momentarily push the Imperium back, but that moment was over. The horde of innocent Martians were now at their mercy. What was more, the Imperium were already winding up for the kill. The conglomerate was starting to move forward, this time as one, clearly intent on simply emersing itself on top of all of the gathered Martians, planning on suffocating every last one of them in one fell swoop.

It was now or never. It was one or the other. Either Batman and Wonder Woman would destroy the Imperium mass, or the Martians were dead. The latter could not be allowed.

"_Just get me close_._" _The words ran through Batman's mind as he was thinking along the exact same lines. It was in that exact same moment that he had looked down at his hands. His incendiary device was still clutched there, despite his fall. It was time for him to try again, only this time, with no barricade to defend, he had Wonder Woman to get him there.

The thing was, he wasn't waiting for her to do that. Wonder Woman had hoisted him onto her shoulders when she caught him so that they were essentially flying side by side. That meant that Batman was facing the Imperium mass all of the way. It also meant he had the perfect chance to take aim.

But it wasn't his explosive that he threw, not the main one anyway. Wonder Woman instantly recognised the batarang that he flung, reading his thoughts to know his plan. She saw the device strike, right at the epicentre of the Imperium mass. It wasn't a standard batarang though. It was the explosive kind, detonating upon impact.

The mass was hardly slowed at all in its drive to kill the Martians, but what did happen was the creation of the opening. Those few Imperium hit by the batarang were blown apart, yet their pieces were caught up by the surge of their fellows, sticking to the rest of the mass. That meant that those Imperium were quickly reforming, filling in the hole that Batman had just created within the conglomerate mass.

They hadn't seen the plan. They fell right into Batman's hands. By the time that batarang had blown, Wonder Woman had herself and Batman in close, close enough that Batman's aim could be perfect. This time it was the plastique he hurled, right into the crevice he had just created in the Imperium.

Wonder Woman did not stick around. She knew what was coming. Batman was looking over his shoulder, keeping tabs on things for the both of them. Her role was to the them safely clear.

If Batman had simply hurled the plastique, there would have been nothing to stop the Imperium from throwing it clear before it could imbed in them and blow them apart. However, with the Imperium filling in the crevice the batarang had dug, there _was_ something to stop them. The plastique got into that hole moments before several Imperium could. In fact, they dove in _on top _of it. Unknowingly of course, but it didn't matter. They were there, and they were essentially the shield. They were in the way. They stopped the Imperium from saving themselves.

They meant that the plastique detonated while still deep in the heart of the Imperium mass.

Even through the dampening Imperium the sound was near deafening. It was one hell of a blast, all things considered. But the charge had been directed too. The complete quantity of the alien fiends was blown away, literally. It had been so close to the Martians too, but it hadn't gotten close enough. Batman had the charge primed to ensure that. The Imperium had intended to descend on the Martians, to literally drown the Martians within themselves. Thanks to the blast, not only was the conglomerate broken, but all the pieces had fallen without touching a single one of the Martians.

And yet Wonder Woman remained on guard. As soon as she knew it was safe she was setting herself and Batman down, standing between the Martians, ready for another fight. After a blast like that she knew that it would take time, perhaps a long, _long _time, but Wonder Woman had also seen more than enough of these foes to know that they didn't often stay down. She was convinced that even after a blast like that one these fiends would be back, reforming from the now smouldering remnants of their bodies scattered amongst the distant grounds. She could tell that Batman was thinking along the same lines. He had even drawn another batarang, just in case. If these guys were going to start reforming any time soon, they would not be caught off guard. They would not be naïve enough to celebrate too early, even if they had just scored a good victory. Those Martians still needed protecting.

The _world _still needed protecting.

The next moment struck some horror into Wonder Woman. She had been ready, but that didn't mean that she had been expectant. After all it had took to just defeat the Imperium's latest attack, after how close they had come to total failure, she did not want to have to fight them again any time soon. She did not want the Imperium to be recomposed before the Martians had them caged. Unfortunately, her wants meant for nothing right then. Before her eyes she could see the remnants of Imperium start to twitch, then she could see full blown movement. Only seconds later, she could see the masses of separate puddles becoming one very big one. The conglomerate was coming back. Well she would just have to stop it all over again, preferably before it became anything more than a very big puddle.

But before she could take off to engage it all over again, Batman snatched a hand out to stop her. He recognised the signs only a second before she did. It was only once she was holding ground under his action, only when her focus was distracted from the growing Imperium that she registered the sensation that the core was now passing on to both her and Batman. Seeing the reforming Imperium split into their individual parts in the next second began to absolutely confirm it. Even if that hadn't, watching them all suddenly turn and run away definitely did.

The Martians had done it. The Imperium had been split from the core. They were powerless.

And now they were running scared.

* * *

><p>There they were. They had it. They had found the last Imperium soldier. They had found them all.<p>

It was time to lower the cage. J'onn did not wait before leading the Martians onwards. He did not wait before stripping the Imperium of their power. He knew it was happening, and he had to fight off his excitement. Things were happening. They were getting closer. They were getting closer to making the Martian race live again.

Through it all J'onn could sense the Imperium's last, desperate attempts to fight, to strike out against Metropolis and do whatever damage they could. They were not going to go down quietly. There was still a fight to be had. But J'onn could tell that it was a fight the right side was winning.

The cage was there. The Imperium's power was stripped. They were cut off from the core. And, through the telepathy, J'onn could also sense that Batman and Wonder Woman had succeeded in protecting them.

But then, things were suddenly going _too _well. The way the rest of the day had gone, J'onn was suspicious. He was worried. Things could take a turn for the worse, so very easily. J'onn could only hope that they wouldn't.

Not now that they were so very close. Not when so much rested on it.

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN:**_

_**Alright folks, here's your next bit. Apologies for the delay compared to normal, but don't let that stop the reviews flooding in! They mean a lot, so cheers for that gang. In fact, the sure fire way to make me try and work faster is for a lot of you to have your say...**_


	28. Chapter 27: Desperate Men

**Chapter 27: Desperate Men**

They had failed. The forces they had sent to kill the Martians had failed. And now they had _all _lost.

The Imperium knew that they were beaten. They knew that the Martians had installed their cage. They could feel that all of their connection to the cloud's control core was gone. After centuries of power, they now suddenly had none. It felt like an entire part of themselves was gone, that it had been ripped clean from them. It was disabling, and it was terrifying. It made them feel even more alone than ever before.

It seemed they had indeed been overconfident after all.

But at least they had had a brief amount of warning. Before their connection to the core had been forcibly taken from them, the Imperium had felt the defeat of their assault force, even in their unified form. They had felt just how close the Martians were to achieving the cut off. That was why they took a very deliberate final action with the cloud while they still could.

They didn't have time to do everything. The beaten force were out there, running from the Martians and their human defenders, but without the core access they would have no way of finding their way back through the vastness of the cloud, no way of tracking the rest of the Imperium down. The Imperium as a whole could maybe have brought them back, but they had other priorities. Without the core, they had nothing. With the core, all they had was revenge. Either way, they were lost, with an eternity of emptiness laying before them. That was why they had to prioritise before they lost all of their control. With an eternity to search, the others would be able to find them again eventually. As for now, they had to get what vengeance they still could.

It may be their last blow, their last attack – for now anyway – but the city below them could still suffer.

It could still suffer greatly.

* * *

><p>The fight went on. It seemed endless. It hadn't been going on long in truth. Not much time had passed since the the cloud had emerged from the ocean, and yet it felt like an eternity. A tiring one.<p>

But the fight _had _to go on. The collapse of the Daily Planet building was enough to make that blatantly clear. The imagery of seeing that rooftop globe falling so many feet to the street below was powerful. Knowing that there would undoubtedly have been some people left in that building when it went made it even more so. It couldn't be allowed to happen again. This cloud _had _to be stopped.

And Green Lantern was right at the forefront of those efforts. Along with Superman, he was leading the charge. His ring was firing bolts of light out non-stop, in all sorts of directions, wherever it might be needed. To a degree it was working, especially when combined with the efforts of all the other heroes who were up there with them. But then, a degree wasn't enough, not unless it was a full, unequivocal degree. Batman had said that he had a plan to stop the cloud, had said so before they had allowed it back out of the waters. Well he had better deliver on that soon. The city was depending on it.

Metropolis was still emptying. The military were still running the full evacuation procedure. But it was a slow process. For a city that size it would take a long time to get everyone out, longer than they had. Down below, those efforts were clearly visible. A pair of military trucks were down there, marines getting them packed to the rafters with every man, woman and child they could extract from the surrounding blocks. It was yet more reminders that the Justice League had their own job to do.

Another tentacle was forming on the cloud, another arm looking ready to strike. They were pretty much constant now, lashing out in one direction or another. Some were decoys, others were direct assaults. Whichever this one was didn't matter. This was not a game in which the Justice League could gamble. They could not assume, they couldn't guess. They had to view every tentacle forming on the cloud as hostile. They had to view them all as something deadly. Something that they had to engage.

That was why GL had his ring shooting at the tentacle before it had even fully formed. It made a bubble, trapping the tentacle against the cloud's body, stopping it from striking out. Similar efforts from Doctor Light and Stargirl were soon following, trying to sure up his effort. On top of that, Captain Atom had their bubble surrounded by radiation, trying to discourage the cloud from trying to break through. Green Lantern was wary, though. He did not let his concentration weaken or even narrow in the slightest. He focussed entirely on the effort, on putting every ounce of strength he could into holding that tentacle at bay. Those towers below still had people in them and those trucks were holding plenty too. GL would not let them fall as the Daily Planet had.

The problem was, he was concentrating so hard on that that he didn't notice the changes in the cloud. It had suddenly began sparking harder than ever, as if its electrical charge was going into overdrive. He was concentrating so hard that he didn't notice the other tentacles forming either. Forming right behind him too. Forming _and _lashing out. It was a good job, then, that he wasn't in this alone. If he had been, he would be dead right now. As things were, he had a little help.

The weight crashed against him even before he realised the threat that was pointed his way. It knocked him off balance, pushing so hard that he was knocked across the skies. It broke his concentration, but he did manage to keep the light up there, thankfully enough to keep that tentacle deflected. Even more thankfully, it got him out of the way.

The tentacle whizzed past just fractions away from his face, precisely where his entire body had hung in the air just moments before. Whoever it had been that was paying attention had just saved his life.

It was then that he saw who it was. Well, he felt it first technically, but he certainly didn't delay in looking. Feeling the feathers was more inspiration for him to see who it was than curiosity alone. He had to see after that. He had to. No matter what facts he had known about the plan, he had worried. No matter how confused his feelings were, he had worried. He had worried that she wouldn't be making it out of this. Now he knew otherwise, but he still had to see her face. He still had to be absolutely sure that she had made it out of her little _trip_.

It was Shayera. She was alive. And she had just saved him too.

GL was feeling exactly how he knew he would when he saw her again, perhaps even more so given the circumstances. It was a feeling that he had been fighting against for a while now, but it was also a feeling that there just wasn't time for, not with all this going on. Just because those tentacles had missed _him, _it didn't mean they weren't still dangerous.

"That cloud must have a thing for marines!" Shayera called out over the roar of the energy pulsing down right beside the two of them. She was fully task focussed, staring down at the city below. In less than a second GL had caught up and cottoned on after his near miss. She was staring down at those evacuation trucks, the ones parked up between the towers down below them. The ones that were packed with people as part of the evacuation. The ones that couldn't travel as fast as energy.

The ones that indeed seemed to be the tentacles target...

GL didn't make any kind of comment of his own. He both didn't have to, plus he needed his concentration elsewhere. It was clear that Shayera's comment had been designed to get his attention and to direct his focus. That was because she clearly knew that he was the best hope for those marines down there. Those people's only hope was something quicker than energy that was also strong enough to get them all out of there in a hurry. The light of a power ring fit the bill perfectly. But it was still going to be cutting it pretty close.

The light from his ring won the race. Just. Imagining up a giant shovel, GL scooped up all of the trucks, all occupants included. The people down there had spotted the tentacle coming. In a mad panic they had all dashed for the nearest of the vehicles, scrambling aboard. In fact, it almost looked as if they had already been in a rush to get out of there before the tentacle had even begun to come their way. Considering the circumstances though, GL wasn't surprised about that. He wouldn't want to be on the ground so close to this thing either, not if there was any real choice.

The marines had managed to get the engines running, but the things had only just begun to pull away. There was no way they would get up to speed before they were obliterated if they didn't have help. But at least they had been aware. That meant that GL didn't have to worry about stragglers; there weren't any. The trucks held everyone that the cloud was going after.

It took plenty of effort, but Green Lantern was able to lift several tonnes of truck and people up off of the tarmac. That wasn't all either. He had them shooting forwards, blasting down the street on a track of green light. He had to. The cloud wasn't too happy about its targets not sitting still to die. It was chasing after them, even as GL tried to carry them clear. The race was still on.

Even from here GL could see the asphalt sizzling under the heat the clouds energy emitted, but that wasn't the only way in which the heat was on. Not only did GL have to keep the trucks ahead of the pursuing tentacle, he had to keep his ferrying light clear of it too, the entire line of it. The track couldn't be broken, otherwise those trucks would fall, and GL wouldn't get any second chances to save them. But he dare not lift the trucks skyward either, even if it would erase the problem of the maze that was the city streets. Every second of uplift was a second of putting less distance between those people and the cloud's arm.

At least all of that was what should have happened, how things had looked like going down. Barely had GL moved the trucks around the first corner when that tentacle suddenly halted its pursuit. The entire thing fizzled out, fading back upwards into its main body. It did so slowly too, almost as if nothing mattered, as if none of this death and destruction was actually happening. It limped back timidly, _neutrally_. GL couldn't believe what he was seeing. However, he didn't exactly stop to look either. He still had a few truck loads of people all in his care. He had to set them down first. Before he even thought to check out what the cloud was up to, GL had to make sure they were down safely on the road again, and were under way again under their own power. That being said, it was hard for him to keep his focus, especially when he heard Shayera's gasp.

"Oh no..."

As soon as GL could he was looking up to see what had gotten Shayera so obviously worried. What he saw made him completely understand why such a brave and experienced battler as her was sounding so scared.

The tentacle that had gone after the trucks hadn't been alone. There had been others that had burst out from that cloud, and all at the same moment. That way there was no way the Justice League could cover them all. All of those tentacles were now slinking back towards the clouds main body, just as the one that had gone after the trucks was doing. There was so many of them. Perhaps it had burnt the cloud out, drained it of too much of its power and force, for the immediate future at least. Whatever the reason, though, it didn't matter.

The damage was done.

* * *

><p>From his position, Superman saw as all hell suddenly broke loose. Tentacles burst out from the cloud, flung out in all sorts of directions, just so long as said direction was roughly towards Metropolis.<p>

He had acted fast, just as so many of the Justice League had done. The skies were lit up by all sorts of lights and sights as so many tried to stop so much power from hurting so many more. The League's effort, simply put, was remarkable. They had already put so much into the fight that it was remarkable simply that they had this much left still to give. Yet these were people that Superman was more than proud to call his friends and allies. So typically of them, with other people counting on them they found a way to fight on, to push themselves to levels they had never reached before.

Between them all they had managed to stop the majority of the cloud's attacks from getting through. One way or another they had stopped them, their powers being pushed to the maximum, but they had done it. Prioritising helped, with the attacks on the already evacuated areas being allowed through to focus on saving life over matter, to focus the League's energies on where they were truly needed. The fact that they managed it all without any warning or organisation was simply beyond words, but these people were Earth's fore heroes for a reason.

However, no matter how impressive their defence was, there was simply no way that they could prevent _every _one of the cloud's assaulting tentacles from making it through. To his horror, Superman saw as another of Metropolis' tallest and most occupied buildings was hit.

Already it was looking bad. Just as before, the building had been struck relatively low down. Not quite street level as with the Daily Planet, but it was close enough. Just as before, it didn't look like the upper floors would be left standing for too much longer. Already Superman was hearing the screams of the people inside it. It was deja vu, at its worst.

But there was one major difference to what had happened the last time. This time the cloud had halted.

Superman saw it happen. It was only a few seconds after when those tentacles had struck, or when they would have _all _struck of the League hadn't been there to stop them. Almost in slow motion, each of those many attacking arms was retreating back into the main body of the cloud, a main body which itself had suddenly gone still and silent. Superman thought he could guess why. Of course he couldn't know for sure, but he had a very strong feeling that this was Batman's plan beginning to unfold.

Either way, he wasn't going to deny this chance. There was no way of knowing exactly how long this was going to last. There was every chance that any second now that cloud could try to attack again. Of course if Batman, Wonder Woman and J'onn had a say then that wouldn't be happening, but right now Superman couldn't afford to take the chance. Right now he had to use these seconds to save the day again.

"GL, keep that thing covered!" Superman was quickly instructing down his comm. "Organise it with the others. Drive it back out over the way if you can. I'm going to try and help out those people down there!"

"We're on it Superman," GL's voice sounded out back in his ear. "We're on it. Be quick."

Superman shared that sentiment. So much so that he didn't even bother replying. Instead he was just grateful that speed was one of his many powers. Right now he was putting it to full use.

And hoping that he would manage to get those people all out in time. Before either the building fell, or more were put at risk.

* * *

><p>General Mulligan saw it all from his position. He saw as the cloud practically exploded energy all across the city. From street level he couldn't see the extent of the damage that resulted from the mass assault, nor could he really see how effective the Justice League's defensive efforts proved. Those things were both irrelevant to him though. The fact of the matter was that that cloud was still there, and that major damage <em>could <em>be done.

No matter what any of those so called heroes said, Mulligan's mind would not be changed. That thing had to be destroyed, once and for all, never to return. It needed exterminating. Any collateral damage would be insignificant compared to the threat that thing held.

Only moments after the cloud's sudden all out assault, the entire thing seemed to suddenly go quiet. It's attacks suddenly halted, as did the entire cloud, now just hanging there over the city like a deadly omen. Once again, though, Mulligan didn't care. It had attacked too much already. He saw no reason to believe that it wouldn't be doing so again.

Unless they did something about it.

"Lieutenant, get me a sitrep on the package," Mulligan ordered to the younger officer sat in the command tent just behind him, though he kept his eagle eyes up there on the sky as he did so.

"It's just seconds out, Sir," the officer was quickly replying, having been keeping tabs on the warhead from the instant of its launch. "Our teams on the ground report they're all bugging out. We'll be lighting it up any moment now."

Mulligan felt himself slowly nodding as he heard that, though he still kept staring up at that cloud, that cloud that had already done far too much damage. That cloud he _had_ to destroy.

"Good. And not a moment too soon."

* * *

><p>He hadn't been the only one to race to the rescue of the people inside the latest skyscraper to be struck by the cloud's deadly energy. Flash had charged in too. That was a real blessing. With Flash running in shouting something about getting the place clear before anyone could shout Jenga, it meant that Superman could instead buy them all time. With his speed and capabilities Flash could be trusted to get the people out so long as he had enough time. Granted Superman could help him directly and cut time that way, but then there would be no way to at least try and ensure they had <em>enough <em>time to save everyone. This way, they had some chance of doing that.

For Superman was literally holding up the entire tower. He couldn't simply lift it clear and carry all the people to safety, not without risking people falling out of the building or causing other serious harm accidentally. But he could hold it in place. He could counter the rocking off the building as it threatened to fall. He could ensure that the structure was upright for as long as physically possible, and hope that that would be long enough.

"Just a couple of floors left to go, big guy!" Flash's voice rang out in Superman's comm piece. "Hang on just a little more before you're shouting timber!"

"Just don't dawdle, Flash," Superman returned. "It's certainly time to live up that nickname you keep bragging about."

His voice was strained as he said those words. Even a man with the strength to potentially move planets didn't find it easy to hold up an entire building. However, at the same time his voice wasn't as devoid of hope as it may have been. That cloud was still unmoved. In fact, a quick glance over his shoulder told Superman that GL and the rest may actually be making some progress in driving it back, without facing any resistance. Superman was really starting to think that Bruce, Diana and J'onn were pulling this off. He was seeing the light at the end of the tunnel, just so long as the people in this building weren't soon experiencing the darker meaning of that phrase. The fact that Wally was here with him now only encouraged Superman further. He had seen the people of Metropolis starting to awaken already, but seeing Flash, one of the cloud's first victims, back in the real world was such a relief, especially as he seemed to have made it out unscathed.

But of course, this wasn't over yet. There were still more people inside that thing, including both a race long thought lost and some of Superman's closest friends. How he dearly hoped that these next moments would bring him even more relief, even more joy.

Yet it seemed fate had another twist to unleash, another move to play in this giant game of chess. Barely had Superman begun to think those more positive thoughts than he first heard it, thanks to his enhanced hearing. It was a faint whistle at first, signalling that it was still fairly distant, but Superman had heard enough of them in his time to instantly recognise it for what it was. He was also good enough at putting the pieces together to figure out what it was for. The military had clearly been unhappy that he and Captain Atom had been unwilling to simply destroy the cloud, regardless of the innocent lives doing so would cost. Apparently they had taken matters into their own hands as a result.

A missile was coming in fast, a missile that was no doubt designed to destroy that cloud, once and for all.

That cloud which was still over the city and the innocents it still contained.

That cloud that still held the Martians, Bruce _and _Diana...

And there was nothing that Superman could do about it. He couldn't move. He couldn't leave the tower, not now, not without sacrificing everybody who was in there. But that missile had to be stopped, and Superman knew that there was no way he would be able to talk Mulligan down, not in the time that they had.

In short, it was up to the others.

* * *

><p>"GL, come in," Superman's voice was ringing out in his ear. He sounded worried. Very worried. "You might not be able to see it yet, but trust me, we've got incoming. There's a missile on its way. The military must have launched it. I'm guessing they've figured out a way to take out the cloud, probably based on our earlier efforts. GL, you've got to stop it."<p>

He didn't need to say why. GL could figure that part out for himself. And Superman was certainly right. The General had gone and gotten too itchy on his trigger finger. He had panicked, and that was threatening to ruin everything. GL couldn't let that happen. He agreed whole heartedly that this cloud was something that needed removing from the Earth, but this was too early, too rash, too damaging. Especially when the Justice League were so close.

Right up until the moment when that call had come in he had been working with the other flight-enabled heroes, using their respective powers to push the cloud back now that its resistance seemed to have halted. It was slow progress, but at last it was actually working. That cloud was moving back, back towards the waters. It just wasn't doing so fast enough. It was still over the city. If it was destroyed there, all who were below it were gone. GL quickly ran things through in his head. Even with his hearing, if Superman was registering the missile now then GL could figure out that there wasn't time. They wouldn't have the cloud clear of the city before it struck, even if Batman, Diana and the rest _had _been able to get out of there in time. That left only one option.

"I assume you heard that," he said, speaking directly to Shayera hovering right at his side. She had been there ever since the cloud's final, multiple assault on the city. GL hadn't failed to notice that. She hadn't said anything, but she had also made no effort to move away. In fact, since there was nothing she could do to help in the efforts pushing the cloud, it seemed she was very _determined _to stay with him right now. GL got the sense that there might have been one near miss too many, that despite it all... No. No, he couldn't afford to think along those lines right now. Those thoughts were ones for when he didn't have people to save.

"Every word," Shayera answered him, sounding firm. Immediately GL knew that no matter what she said next, he wasn't about to argue with her. "I'm going with you."

All GL could do to respond to her was nod, before flicking on his comm. "Captain Atom, take charge up here. Keep driving that cloud back. We've got another situation that Shayera and I have to go and take care of."

"Just when we think its starting to run smoothly," came back the drawl of Captain Atom's response. "Good luck, Sir."

GL had the feeling that they might be needing it, but he resisted saying so. He knew that he had spent enough time here already. Instead, he knew that it was time to act.

Thankfully he hadn't forgotten everything for his own background with the marines. It meant he could figure out to a degree how the military people would be thinking, how they would be acting. It meant that he was able to figure out where the missile Superman had heard would have been launched from. It meant that he was able to figure out where this new threat would be coming from.

It meant that he was able, amongst all the vastness of the skies, to locate the weapon.

He couldn't see it yet, thankfully. He didn't have the enhanced vision of Superman. If he had been able to see the missile, then it would almost certainly have been too late already, what with the speed such weapons travelled at. Instead, it meant that they still had a chance, so long as they could get out there and intercept the thing in time.

"Come on!" GL was hurriedly instructing Shayera, before he was darting away, using every ounce of will to travel as fast as he possibly could in the direction where he knew the missile would be. Shayera was hot on his heels, wings thrust back for maximum propulsion, mace at the ready already. They may be travelling on a collision course, but this was still a race. And it was one that they couldn't afford to lose. Yes, that missile would have been designed to save lives, but now, GL knew, it would only cost them. This _wasn't _the right play. It _had _to be stopped.

He didn't know how long the flight went on like that, but he hoped it was a long time. Still, his gut was shouting at him that it maybe wasn't as long as they might need. Either way, it was the time that they had, and it was all that they had. For now, he could spot the missile.

For what it was, it looked big. Obviously Mulligan wasn't about to take any chances. It seemed that he had ordered a rocket packed with enough material to ensure that there was no way that cloud could survive. GL didn't want to stop and think about what that could mean for the people still in Metropolis, including the General's own men. He definitely didn't want to think about what it would mean for Batman, Wonder Woman and the Martians still inside that thing. However, there was one plus that he couldn't miss.

A bigger missile meant it was a bigger target. It gave them more of a chance to ensure that that missile didn't do its job.

Despite its size, the thing was travelling fast, as rockets do. By the time that Green Lantern had properly picked it out it was practically on top of them. GL had to stop in a hurry to make sure that he didn't sail right on past the weapon, but even as he did so he had his ring firing. Not knowing exactly what this missile was, not knowing what kind of collateral damage it could do, he knew that they had to be careful, but he also knew that this thing had to be taken out. Luckily, it wasn't the only missile GL had ever had to deal with. That was why he knew not to just detonate it. That was why he knew to go for the innards.

Shayera had faced missiles before as well, but thankfully it seemed as though she was aware enough not to go for her usual blunt force approach. GL saw her latch onto the missile as it sailed by, clutching on to its tail fins in order to keep herself perfectly steady alongside the thing. Then, with her mace sparking, she began to pummel at the missiles rear, clearly intent on trying to force it off course for if GL's own approach failed. A missile sailing harmlessly out over the oceans would be as good as a missile disarmed.

But GL had the strong feeling that the disarmament approach was not one to be given up lightly. He too was keeping tight near the missile's body, and this close he could see that the thing's size wasn't purely due to excess innards. It's casing looked thick, plenty thick enough, perhaps even fully lead lined. It seemed almost like the military had tried in a hurry to make sure that this wasn't a weapon that the Justice League could take out. That made GL doubt whether Shayera's attempt would actually work, but with his ring he was sure he could cut his way in. Just so long as he had the time to do so.

Again using his military experience, GL could figure out where all the mechanisms of the missile would be, both the triggers and guidance systems. His plan was to take them out, just as he had done with the control chips of those rockets that had threatened Gorilla City what seemed like an entire age ago. To do that, though, he needed access. That was why he was cutting, using his ring as if it were a welding torch, drawing out a circle of metal from the topside of the missiles casing. It was slow work. It had to be. He had plenty of metal to get through, but at the same time he dare not go too far and into what lay beyond. He had some idea of what this missile was, even if it was all guesswork. Captain Atom's radiation had been a key ingredient in the damage that had been inflicted on the cloud before. That meant it was entirely plausible that there was radioactive material inside the missile. While the missile was still travelling fast, and fast towards civilisation, that would be radioactive material that GL dare not unleash. If he did, he could accidentally turn this thing almost into a kind of dirty bomb. That would be even more damaging than just leaving the missile alone to strike.

Despite all that, he was still hurrying. On the briefest of glances upwards, he could see the city beginning to loom large again up ahead, cloud and all. It wouldn't be long until they were back there. Realistically, he had to get this done before then. Otherwise it would likely be all for nothing.

"Having fun up there?" Shayera called out to him. She sounded rather impatient, frustrated too. Her own effort was clearly not working. Even more clearly, she was hoping that he'd shout back that that didn't matter. GL, however, couldn't do that yet, not with it still a work in progress.

"Time of my life," he grumbled back without distracting his focus. The circle was almost complete. He was almost through. He was almost at the missiles controls. But then again, the missile was also ever closer to the city limits...

At last, even over all the sound of rushing air, he heard the chink as the piece finally became loose. GL felt like celebrating even that, but instead he pressed on. With the merest flick of his wrist he had the chink scooped up, flinging it into the air. The winds took care of the rest, carrying it clear away. That left GL his opening, and barely with a moment to spare. He did hesitate. He did not wait even the merest fraction of a second before he was reaching in, grasping hold of the guidance chips and trigger mechanisms. One hard yank and it came free, ripping clean out of the missile casing. Just to be sure, GL crushed everything that was in his hand. That ought to do it.

The missile instantly began to plummet, dropping down from the sky as if all propulsion was gone. GL watched it go, but he didn't leave it. He still couldn't stop to celebrate. Even disarmed this missile could still be deadly. Radiation was never anything to underestimate. He couldn't leave that missile to just fall. It had to be made safe.

That was why he gave chase. That was why he used his ring to catch the missile, and to gently raise it back into the sky. But he made it in time. Just about but he had made it. He was literally a stones throw from the city by the time he had that missile halted and under control, sat on a bed of green light. As he hovered there, Shayera came up to his side having released her grip on the missile when it began to fall.

"Nice catch," she spoke, though her voice sounded forcefully neutral. Glancing at her, GL could see she wasn't even looking his way, apparently not able to. Damn he would have to settle this. Damn his destiny.

But, it turned out, looking away was a big mistake. It seemed his knowledge of the military was outdated. It seemed he had made a big mistake.

That missile wasn't quite as disarmed as he had thought.

The sudden whine was his clue. However, by the time he had looked, it was already too late. By then, the second rocket had launched.

The first, the main shell, it had all just been a decoy. It was just a carrier, a delivery system, ferrying the true weapon in close to the city. Now that the original rocket had lost its thrust, it must have been the second's signal to fire. Before GL could do anything, it was firing clear of its neutralised shell, blasting towards the cloud above the city once more.

Green Lantern desperately shot at it, desperately tried to destroy it, now. Alas, it was just too small, and too close to the city. He had to try to launch it, to catapult it away, to change its course somehow. Over the city, he just couldn't destroy it, or many _would _die, he was sure of that. And now it _was_ over the city.

Now GL was desperate. Both he and Shayera were giving chase, but there was nothing that she could do. She couldn't get close to it, not at the rate the missile was travelling. With the range of his ring, GL was the only chance of the two of them. But this smaller missile clearly had a more advance guidance package, perhaps even some kind of drone technology allowing it to be piloted. Either way, it was taking an evasive flight path. Either way, GL just couldn't hit the damn thing, not in the way that he knew he must.

Either way, it was getting ever nearer to that cloud. There was only one chance left.

"Green Lantern to all League personnel!" he roared down his comm. "We've got a missile incoming! Divert it at all costs! Do not let it hit the cloud! Do not let it detonate above the city!"

But it was too late. Up ahead, GL saw some of the other League heroes turn. They were so close now that he could literally pick them out. He saw as Red Tornado tried to blow the thing away, saw as Stargirl tried to scoop it away, saw other such efforts. But the General had clearly been intent that this missile would get through. No doubt there was some old Cadmus file somewhere behind it, or perhaps the weapon itself was a relic of those days. Whatever it was, now, all too late, it was perfectly clear that this missile had been designed to ensure that the Justice League would not be able to stop it a hurry.

And that was exactly what happened. To his horror, GL watched it evade all of those defensive efforts. To his horror, GL saw the missile make it into the cloud.

To his horror, GL saw the missile detonate.

At first there was the sight of the blast. Then the sound hit. But it was no volatile boom as many may have expected. More of a strong fizz. The missile didn't end in a ball of flames. It just broke apart, the various sections crumbling away and falling back out of the cloud, down towards the city that was still below it all. Yet it left plenty behind. Gas was filling up the thing, _cold _looking gas. It was freezing stuff, it was freezing the cloud. After all, before it had been the combination of cold and radiation that had torn off an arm of the cloud. And radiation was hardly a visible thing...

Already the signs of damage were visible. Already the cloud was looking fragile. The freezing gases did not stay visible for long, for the cloud had turned a rather vivid shade of pale blue very quickly. Not only that, but cracks were appearing in it, running from top to bottom, side to side, cracks which seemed to be leaking..._something_. And all of that had happened in the near instant since the detonation of the missile. It looked like pieces of the thing were ready to fall off at any moment, just as that original arm had done. It looked like the entire thing was about to die.

And it could just take so many of the city with it. GL knew all too well the effect a piece of the cloud had on a human life when it was torn from the cloud. He didn't want to see that again.

Time had all but stood still ever since that missile had made it through, for GL anyway. Almost certainly it was shock. Even ex-marines turned intergalactic peacekeepers turned global heroes felt it. At times like this more than ever. Perhaps it was also something to do with anger. He was feeling plenty of that too right now, all of it directed at the military. Short sighted, ill tempered fools. Just when it looked like the League was going to pull it off. They'd gone and thrown it all away. They had gone and made things a whole lot worse. And General Mulligan would probably go and be praised by the Senate for this...

But he wouldn't be praised by everyone. There were some people who would never get the chance to, much less be likely to want to. And some of them were Mulligan's own men. For it didn't take long for the first chunk of the cloud to fall. It happened pretty much in slow motion, yet before any of them had a chance to truly react to stop it. Some tried, but even a terminal cloud still packed plenty of energy. That burst through every defensive effort against it. More than that, it burst through everything it struck on its way down to the ground.

Including those very same evacuation trucks that GL had managed to rescue only minutes earlier. All the people on board included.

They might not even be the only ones to have already lost their lives. Looking at the state of the cloud, looking at the damage that had already been done, GL hardly dare think about how things might be _inside _it. More than that, he hardly dare think about how the _people _might be inside it...

The Justice League were acting. As soon as they could, and however they dared. GL saw it begin. He saw the efforts, saw his friends and allies resume the attempt to keep pushing the cloud away, only now trying to hold all the pieces together at the same time. He saw them continue to try and get the cloud away, out over the bay, away from any innocents below. And he saw just how futile their efforts were looking to be. He could already see it. That cloud wasn't going to move far enough, not in the time they had, not without breaking apart and ruining _everything_. The thing just looked far too fragile for that.

And yet they had to do something. They had to try. _All _of them.

Lantern saw the flutter of movement from out of his eye corner, only just in time. He was just in time to stop her. Just the sign of her moving was all the warning that he needed. He could figure the rest out without even needing to think about it. Shayera was not the type to just stand idly by while everything else was going to hell. When it was her friends who were at risk, she definitely wasn't that type. She'd been into that cloud and made it out once already as well. From her point of view, she must be thinking that she could do so again, that she could take the risk even after the missile had hit, if it would mean she had a chance of saving the rest. But GL knew different. It wasn't that he didn't want to save them, he would give everything to do that, but he wasn't about to throw lives away for nothing either. Right now, _if _they were still alive then the best chance for Diana, Batman, J'onn and all those Martians was to speed up the original plan. If anyone else went back in there, at best they would slow things down, and at worst... GL didn't want to think about the worst.

That was why he stopped her. Just as she was about to fly past him, soaring head first towards the dying cloud, his reflexes took hold. Whipping himself around, he practically tackled her in the skies, grasping hold tight. Typically, she was fighting him immediately.

"Shayera, stop! It's too late! You can't help them!"

"Like hell I can't!" Shayera screamed back at him, trying everything to break the lock he had put around her with his arms. Her face was bearing all the signs of desperation, perhaps even already some of the signs of grief. "Let me go! I have help them! Diana, J'onn, Batman! I have to save them!"

"You can't!" GL argued back, though it was more of a plea. He was feeling plenty of his own desperation now. Desperation that suddenly made a whole lot of things a whole lot simpler. It was a desperation that made up his mind. "Their only hope is to save themselves! And that's if they still can. Shayera, please! I... I can't lose you!"

"Oh, please, you've made it perfectly clear that that's a card you've no right to play! Now let me g–!"

She didn't finish her sentence. GL didn't give her the chance to. He knew that he now had only one way to convince her, and it was a way he took. It was something he should have done a _long_ time ago.

John kissed her. A deep, passionate kiss. A kiss that completely tossed destiny aside. A kiss that said more than words ever could what GL had finally decided. He would follow his heart. To hell with puppetry. He loved her. And he would not let her sacrifice herself like this.

As soon as their lips touched Shayera had stopped fighting him. By the time they parted, GL no longer needed to hold on to her. He did so anyway, though. He liked having her in his arms. He had missed it in all this time. Why? Why had he waited so long? Why had it taken the world falling apart to make him realise?

"I _can't _lose you," he repeated, stressing the word. He spoke with such softness, such compassion that it could have been easy to forget all about what was happening just a short distance away. "We have to have faith in our friends, Shayera. There's nothing we can do for them now. I know I took my sweet time, but I hope I'm not too late. I love you Shayera. No matter what's gone before, I always have. And I _cannot _lose you now."

Shayera took a moment to respond. When she did, it was as if she was speaking through a lump in her throat. "You're right. You _did _take your sweet time. I'll not let you forget it. Now you'd best go help the others try and hold that thing together for as long as you can. I'll go help evacuate the people still alive down below. And... I'll see you on the other side."

She didn't repeat GL's sentiment, but then she didn't have to. It was relief that was hitting her as much as anything, that much was obvious. She had never made any secret of how she felt. She didn't need to say it. But what she had said was something more important to GL. She had relented. She wasn't going back in. She was trusting Bruce, Diana and J'onn.

And she was prepared to give them another go when this thing was done.

She pulled him in close before she was gone, though. She kissed him this time, with such pent up passion that it was clear she had been waiting a long, long time to do so. When it was over she didn't look back. She merely flew away, swooping down towards the city below. For one incredibly long second, GL watched her go, before he too was forced to turn back to the action. He soon had the power of his ring firing towards the cloud, ready to help _try _and drive it away as one unit.

If only this situation hadn't been so dire, he would definitely have felt like smiling. As it was though, with Shayera safe even his love for her couldn't be his strongest of emotions. It may have finally broken through his doubts, but right now, in this moment, Green Lantern was feeling plenty of worry too. Being with Shayera, well that would seemingly have a bright future ahead, now that foreseeing the end had forced him down the path he had foolishly fought for so long.

But the future for many others wasn't looking quite so bright right now, including a bunch of his closest friends.

J'onn. Bruce. Diana. Boy, were they in some real big trouble.

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN:**_

_**Evenin' all. Long delayed posting here but stuff got in the way and, as you can see, kind of a biggy this one. As usual, please let me know what you thought. Any and all comments are welcome!**_

__**On a different note, there is a fair amount left to play out on this story but I have started to look at what'll happen next. I definitely don't intend for this story to be the end of the tale started in**__** The Shroud of Fear****.**__** There will be another sequel. Precisely when I'll do it is the issue, both due to time constraints (as evidenced by the delay in posting this chapter) and the fact there's a completely original story I've been working on for a long, long time now and I really want to focus on it and get it finished first.**__

__**Which brings me to an idea that I've had; turning my FanFiction series into a kind of expanded universe similar to comics or the way movies are going. Simply put, between when "**__**_Above and Beyond" _**__**ends and its sequel begins there is scope for spin off stories, each focusing on a smaller group of Justice League characters – one or two Founders in each story and one or more of the others as support – and their exploits in that time. I've even had some ideas I'm rather fond of of what those stories filling the gap could be (one's lead by Batman, one Wonder Woman, one Supes and Flash and one predominantly Shayera with a bit of GL and J'onn), but without having all the time in the world I'm not going to be writing them.**__

__**So to keep the story and character development going that I've been building here on top of the excellent DCAU while I'm away from it, my idea is for other FanFic writers to take up the mantle and take these extra stories on. Like I said I have ideas of how I personally would do them so it might be better to have folks who want to write something but don't have the idea themselves yet, or just someone who wants to step into the world I'm building upon, but all takers would be welcome. Original ideas of your own would be welcome too, but I'd have to clear them since I know what happens in the sequel I've got in mind and what might happen in the other ones in the interim. You know, continuity and all that.**__

__**For now all I'm after is judging how much interest there is from you folks - and any others who aren't reading this who you think might be keen - to write these spin-offs, for want of a better term, within the universe of my stories. I've got my plot ideas jotted down and these can be made available to any interested parties, including those who have their own idea and want to see how it compares to what I have (just please don't ask for the plots if there is no interest on your part as someone else might want to write it and I'd hate to give away spoilers). **__

__**If it makes a difference I can say that I'd be prepared to offer ideas, help the writer develop their ideas and Beta it (as well as keeping it in continuity), but if you want to write one I'll completely hand over the reigns and let you run with it, just with the proviso that I check it before anything goes up. So either let me know by PMing or in the review (though it might be best if interested guest readers get an account on here so I can respond directly to said interest). Once I know the levels of response to this idea and when my story here is closer to the end, I'll let you folks know what's happening.**__

__**If no-one's up for it that's fair enough, but if you are then that's just grand. And who knows, if we can put together a connected universe that's good enough, works all the characters well enough, gets a strong enough audience response and tells stories that go beyond just what we all want for our personal favourites, maybe, just maybe, the remote possibility that someone over at DC and Time Warner pays attention may come to pass. **__

__**Stranger things have happened...**__

__**And after that essay (and a quick reminder of the fact I've asked for some reviews for my story as well as your thoughts here), peace out y'all.**__


	29. Chapter 28: Silver Linings

**Chapter 28: Silver Linings**

They had thought that the damage had been done before. They had been wrong.

The Imperium had made their last desperate attack. They had hurt the city below, but nowhere near as much as the people from down there had managed to hurt them. They had done something the Imperium had not thought possible. They had found a way to sound the death bells for the entire energy cloud.

Moments ago the Imperium had felt despair that they might be facing an eternity trapped and alone within this cloud, without the power to do anything other than keep existing. Now they weren't even facing that. The cloud was falling apart, and when it did there was no future for them. There was no way out of this for the Imperium. Without any control, there was no hope for them. Their grave was dug as soon as that Earth weapon hit. Now all that was left to do was for them to lie down in it.

And they only had moments to do that, before the cloud forced them down.

They were dead. They knew it. There was no way around it. There was no sense in denying it. There was nothing that they could do any more to fight it. And so they accepted their fate, to such an extent that they weren't even ruing it. They didn't rue any of it, not that they had failed to defeat the Martians, to take over the Earth or find their way home.

They just took solace in one fact, one _hope_. It was what made death seem not quite so grim to them. It perhaps even made death their most important journey.

For they had hope that in death they may finally be reunited with their fallen leader in whatever lay beyond. And death was most certainly coming.

Although, perhaps, they had one _other _hope before they were gone. They could also hope that they might be taking all of those Martians with them...

* * *

><p>Slowly M'vall began to exit her deep reverie, as all of her fellow Martians around her were similarly doing. They had done it. They had stripped the Imperium of their power. They had played their part in the plan that would see them have a chance of becoming corporeal again after so long in a purely mental realm. By all rights M'vall should have been feeling exceptionally happy right now.<p>

And yet she was not. She wasn't happy at all. In fact, she was scared and angry, all at once. She felt betrayed. The human, the Bat Man, had promised them a way out if the Martians helped eradicate the Imperium threat. He had neglected to mention that his people out there on his planet were going to sentence them all to death while they were at it.

For that was exactly what had happened. Even in her deep meditative state M'vall had sensed it. Particularly, she had read the Imperium sensing it. She had read their fear, and their acceptance of an end. A _final _end. She knew before she even begun to feel the tremors rocking the entire environment that the cloud was doomed. It was dying, and it was dying fast, and all because the humans had attacked it _before _they were free. Worse, M'vall knew full well that when the cloud's last moment passed, all who were still inside it would be dying alongside it.

They were facing the end of all things, not just this. There were facing death, not life. Well, the Martian race had _not _survived near extinction and come this close to life only to be snuffed out now.

The Bat Man, the Wonder Woman, even J'onn J'onzz. They all had some explaining to do. And it had better be good, because M'vall was now _definitely _not ready to die.

Hope had made that far clearer to her than fear ever could.

* * *

><p>The Imperium had ran. The Martians had clearly achieved their objective. By all means, the plan should now be in its home stretch. Yes, the last part was by no means easy, and it wasn't inherently without dangers, but with the Imperium now out of the picture both they and the cloud weren't a threat. They should now have had enough time to get the job done safely.<p>

Only they didn't. Batman felt the entire cloud shake under his feet to such a degree he was almost sent sprawling. Maybe he would have been if Wonder Woman hadn't caught him and held him upright. Neither of them liked what had just happened. Both of them could figure out what it must mean. Something had happened in the outside world. Once before the cloud had developed quakes like the one that had just struck, when Superman and Captain Atom had been destroying it before they realised that there were people trapped inside of it. Now that the quakes had returned there could only be one reason.

The outside world was attacking again.

Both of them knew that it wouldn't be Superman assaulting the cloud this time around. He knew the plan and, unless another alien parasite had taken over his mind, there was no way that he would be taking an action that would get them killed. No, this must have been the work of the military, and for an attack by them to have gotten this far, Batman could deduce that it wouldn't be stopping any time soon either. It must have somehow made it through the Justice League, likely in the form of a missile delivery system. But that was irrelevant for now. The link to the core made it abundantly clear.

The cloud was dying. And it would be dying _very _soon.

"_We're not going to catch a break today, are we?" _Wonder Woman perfectly summed up exactly what Batman was feeling as the cloud continued to shake around them. It was pretty constant now.

"_Its a good job we're not reliant on luck, Princess," _Batman silently voiced his agreement. _"I hope you weren't counting on taking a rest any time soon."_

"_You should know by now, Bruce. I can keep playing this game every bit as long as you can." _And there, despite it all, despite all the pressures and threats that were facing them, Diana showed she was still able to display the lighter side of her personality. Even at times like these, she was still able to say just a few short words that made him feel like smiling. Normally of course, he would try to hide that. He would keep his face stern. He wouldn't let anyone else catch on. His face was unmoved this time too, but of course through their link Wonder Woman could sense every one of his thoughts. She knew what her little flirt had momentarily done to even his well trained mind. That was why, more than ever, Batman knew he had to press on with the mission.

"_Good, because we've still a whole host of Martians to save, not to mention Metropolis," _he said to her via his thoughts. _"And we've now even less time to do it in."_

There was no need for Wonder Woman to think anything in return to that. She knew the plan, and she knew the stakes. And despite all of that, she was not about to run away now to protect herself. She wouldn't be the person she was if that was in her make up. Just like Batman, she was in this until the end, whatever that end was. There would be no abandoning the others now. But that wasn't the only reason that she didn't reply.

It was Wonder Woman who spotted the movement first. Batman was unsure whether it was good news or not. For the Martians were stirring. They were waking up, and they weren't looking too happy. Batman soon realised why. Having been telepathically touching it as part of cutting the Imperium off, the Martians would surely have learned from the core that the cloud was dying, exactly as he and Diana had. No doubt they too would figure that the people of Earth were behind the cloud's grim fate. No doubt that would make them feel almost like the people of Earth were trying to kill _them_. They were already starting to look angry. Spotting Batman and Wonder still standing in front of them only seemed to make it worse.

"You!" M'vall practically screamed at the sight of them. She was already storming up to her feet, already marching on them. Her people were quickly following suit. In no time, the horde of Martians had Batman and Wonder Woman encircled, all looking at them accusingly. The fact that they too were all struggling to stay upright as the tremors continued to rumble all around them could well be used to justify those feelings. "You told us we would be safe! That if the plan was successful then we might live again! You lied! You lied to us! You've _killed _us!"

"No!" It was J'onn who had yelled this time, the one Martian who hadn't initially surrounded the two Earthlings. Now he had, forcing his way through the crowd to put himself between M'vall and his two friends. He too had to fight the tremors. They were getting stronger by the moment, just as their time to act was being lessened. "We haven't deceived you. This must all be a terrible misunderstanding, an _accident_! Most beyond this cloud will not know of your existence, or they will not believe it. The assault on the cloud will be defensive. They were protecting themselves, not attacking you. Believe me, we have _not _betrayed you!"

"All evidence appears to point to the contrary, J'onn J'onzz!" M'vall turned to argue with him. She was spitting with every word, her voice was full of such anger. "We have not come this far to be denied now. You have taught us to be brave again, taught us again to fight for what's right. Do not think that we will be afraid to do exactly that right n–!"

"There's no need for any of that," Batman bluntly cut in, drawing M'vall's glare to him. He ignored it. "We can still _all _make it out of here alive, but we have to act _fast_. Fighting amongst ourselves helps nobody. So choose now. If you want to die, then keep acting exactly as you are. You'll never make it out of here if you do."

"You have to trust us," Wonder Woman joined in, using her rather more compassionate tact. "I know you doubt us right now, but if we had lied to you we wouldn't still be here. If we had deceived you, we would have fled the cloud as soon as the fatal blow was struck. But we're still here because we know we can still save you. Even if you don't believe that, though, you can sure believe this. The only chance any of you have of surviving _is _to trust us to get you out of here. You can't make it out of here without us."

Silence fell after that. M'vall's face was twitching, looking like she was thinking things she didn't want to think. The other Martians were keeping quiet, as they always did, what with M'vall their trusted spokeswoman, though no doubt they were telepathically giving her their opinions. Either way, this was taking too long. Batman was usually good with patience, but now even he didn't have time for it. It was time to force the issue. He did so with a single word that spoke volumes, a single word that said '_either talk or we'll leave you behind'_.

"Well?"

M'vall's face twitched a little more, but Batman's word had done the trick. Faced with no alternative, at long last, she relented. She didn't sound too happy, but she had no choice. She, too, stated her point plain and simply, but she did so with a growl.

"How do _we _proceed?"

"Fast. Exactly as planned, only now on a much shorter timetable," Batman was quick to answer. He wanted this part of the episode done as quickly as possible. They all _needed _that. "With the Imperium out of the way, Wonder Woman and I shall use our link to the core to recreate your bodies from the what physical element this cloud still contains, before transferring your consciousnesses into them. To speed that along, you should all return to a meditative, telepathic state. It will make it easier to move your consciousnesses over. Other than that you just have to wait for us to do our part, and to avoid fighting what we're doing."

He made no mention of the Imperium's fate as part of the plan. Truth be told, that was already sealed. There just wouldn't be enough physical matter in the cloud to save them as well, even if they wanted to. Batman being Batman, he probably would have done too. But things as they were, he knew who was most deserving of survival.

"And don't worry, either," Wonder Woman added as soon as Batman finished. "We won't let you down."

Batman knew what she was thinking, even without their connection this time. She was trying to keep the Martians calm. They would all need to keep a cool head throughout this. Still, it made his eyes tighten towards his trademark glare. This also wasn't the time to be downplaying the situation. There was every chance that _none _of them would make it through this. M'vall was clearly thinking along the same lines.

"I wish I could believe that, but we have no option but to follow your plan, do we?" she commented, still sounding unhappy but no longer aggressive. "We will do as you say. _If _we survive this, then you will have our eternal gratitude, and an apology for our accusation. _If_."

That was enough of a signal for the rest of the Martians. They all began to drop back, halting their circling of Batman and Diana and falling back to were they had been knelt before. One by one they began to meditate, to send their minds outwards telepathically to nowhere in particular. Last of all of them, M'vall fell back to the others and matched their actions. She said nothing more verbally as she went, but the look that she cast back towards them was clear enough. It spoke volumes of just how unhappy she was to be leaving the fate of her entire race in their hands. Regardless, she was now following the plan. _That _was all that Batman needed. He didn't need her to like it.

But there was still one Martian left. J'onn hadn't joined his fellows. Of course, he didn't need a new body creating. His situation was different to rest. However, the most important part was still the same. J'onn still needed to get out of here alive.

"You too, J'onn," Batman instructed him. Just like the other Martians, J'onn's mind would need shifting out of here. Just like the others, him being in a meditative state would help that process. He was soon nodding his acceptance, but unlike M'vall he didn't depart without a few closing words.

"Thank you. Thank you both for doing this. Despite what M'vall has claimed, you are both heroes of the Martian race already. I know this task will be dangerous for you. I can only wish you luck."

Wonder Woman took a moment to give J'onn a quick hug. J'onn's words were both encouraging and meaningful to her and she wanted to express that. Truth be told Batman was glad to hear them too, but his focused mind meant that he would never react to it as Diana did.

"See you on the other side, J'onn," she said as she soon released him, smiling as she did so.

J'onn smiled too, though Batman could see it was slightly forced. J'onn was worried. He knew that what they had planned would require a _lot _of effort. He knew there was every chance that he might not see Batman and Wonder Woman alive again. That was probably why he lingered a moment before he, too, took up a meditating posture beside his fellow Martians.

"_You could play a little nicer, Bruce_," Diana commented through her thoughts as soon as J'onn made the move. _"They need the hope."_

"_And _we _need the time," _Batman countered. As if to sure up his point, the quakes got suddenly even more vibrant. They really didn't have long. Regardless, since he had got her into this, Batman felt that Wonder Woman deserved to know the risks, even if he knew they wouldn't matter to her. _"Reverse engineering the Martians' bodies from the solid part of the cloud will not be easy. Throw in both transferring their minds and moving the dying cloud away from Metropolis and we have quite a task on our hands. It'll take a lot of energy, and a lot of concentration. With time we may have been able to compensate for that. Without it, our job just gets a whole lot more dangerous. We're going to be de-constructing the same core that our minds are linked to, and we'll be doing so in a hurry. No one can know for sure what will happen, but the possibilities can't be ignored. What we have to do may prove too much. It's possible that this may kill us, either outright or by trapping us here as the cloud dies. Even if it doesn't, our minds might not make it out in one piece."_

Wonder Woman looked him straight in the eyes of his cowl as he was thinking the words. It was almost as if she could see beyond them. For years Batman had lived his life of guilt, of fears he had fought for a long time to battle through. They were the kind of fears that could have been paralysing if he had let them be. They were the fears of what his actions might mean for his allies, that he might get them killed. His last eight months of training had helped him to bury them away more than ever, but burying things didn't completely eradicate them. He hadn't knowingly thought about it, but that fear was there now. That was why he had to explain things to her. He was scared that he was about to get Diana killed. And while he didn't recognise it himself straight away, Diana clearly did. She placed her hands on either side of his face, as if to stress the bond that had grown between them. When she responded she even spoke aloud again, despite communicating via thoughts having immediately become second nature following their linking in the core of the cloud.

"Bruce, I know that this isn't going to be easy, but I also know that we have to do this. Together. Back when you first told me the plan, you said that you were glad that I was here to do this with you, to be at your side when you faced these risks. Well I don't want to be anywhere else. I want to be right here, at your side, sharing the risk. Bruce, after all we've been through, after all its taken to get us this far, this is only apt. Right now, we'll share our fate."

"Princess–" Batman began to say something, but Wonder Woman was clearly on a roll that she wasn't ready to stop. Despite the ongoing shockwaves threatening to tear the entire cloud apart, she pressed on, acting almost like none of that was even happening.

"No, Bruce, listen to me. I know we'll have our issues. I know that despite our feelings there's still plenty to figure out. An Amazon warrior and a rich kid with issues are hardly going to live the fairy tale. But before we do this I want you to know, just in case we don't make it out in one piece. I want you to know that I don't regret anything, except for the fact that it took us both so long to get this far. If we die here today, I will be contempt in the fact that I at least got to learn of what might have been. I admit that when I first left Themyscira I had many preconceptions about you men. In a lot of cases they have held true, but certainly not for you, not in the large part anyway. Along with others, you've shown me the true goodness of men. Its a message I have begun to pass on to my Amazon sisters, a message which I hope will one day lead to a greater harmony between all. But really its been a message about you. About how even in the darkest corners of Man's World there lies goodness, compassion, love. And a desire to fight to hold onto such things. You've shown that to me today more than ever. Bruce, I'm so glad that you came back when you did. If this is to be our last stand, I'm so glad that we get to do it together. In spite of what you sometimes tell yourself, you truly are a wonderful man. And you're very deserving of this Amazon's love."

And she meant every word of it too. She really did. To say that Batman felt honoured was an understatement, especially to be praised in terms of Themysciran values. More than that though, he couldn't stop love filling his own heart again. Damn it, how did she manage to always do that to him? He had given up on such things long ago. Or he had thought he had, before Wonder Woman had left her Paradise. From day one things there had begun to change. He had immediately become fascinated with her and as time passed that fascination had only grown into something far stronger. And now here they were today, possibly facing the end. But they were doing so _together_. Even if they hadn't had the chance to live that life, she had already done so much for him. She had brought so much light to his life, even more purpose. In short, the words "_I love you too" _simply wouldn't cut it. Besides, as the old adage says, actions speak louder than words. Especially when Diana could already read all of the thoughts that had run through his head.

And so he acted. He wrapped his arms around her, moving in for the most meaningful kiss of his life...

Only for Diana to push him away. At first Batman didn't understand. At first his paranoia was kicking in. Then he saw her smile.

"Despite everything I just said Bruce, _no one _manhandles me."

And barely had she said the words than she was pulling him in close. Before he knew it, she was kissing him, deeply, full of passion. It only took him a second to return it.

Unfortunately a second was all they head. The ongoing quakes of the cloud falling apart were the signal of that. They still had a job to do, a job that could save their lives as well as those of so many others. They had a city and an entire race to save. And with time against them, they had to get to work.

And so that was exactly what they did. Using their minds, both Batman and Wonder Woman utilised the core. The accessed the control central, began to issue the commands to fight Death himself.

And yet, all the while, they never broke apart. If this _was _the end, then being in each others embrace was exactly how they both wanted to go.

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN:**_

**_Originally planned this as only the halfway stage of the Chapter, but it got longer and more important content wise so I decided to stick it in as a beast in its own right. Every proper BatWondy moment deserves its place in the foreground after all! Don't worry, though. The resolution is coming..._**

**_As usual, review/favourite/follow! Especially the first one._****_ Please? _**

**_And for anyone interested, the note at the end of the last chapter is still valid..._**


	30. Chapter 29: All or Nothing

**Chapter 29: All or Nothing**

General Mulligan was observing his handiwork. He wasn't exactly enjoying the sight, but he was hardly repulsed by it either. People may be at risk, they may be about to die, _good _people at that, but he had saved lives more than he had cost. He had brought about the cloud's end.

It hadn't happened yet, but the thing's final demise was nearer. It was coming. It wouldn't take long, either. Mulligan could tell that much from the sight of it. The Justice League were still up there scurrying around it, trying to push it further away, and Mulligan could commend them for that. It was a valiant effort.

But as far as he was concerned, he had done his job. He had saved the world. It was now time to simply watch and discover how much collateral damage would follow.

* * *

><p>Shayera swooped down low, wrapping up another couple of Metropolis residents into her arms. It was a young woman and her child this time, the pair of them fleeing from the hell that was crackling up above them. For whatever reason the pair hadn't gotten out of there already, but the sight of the cloud being so ready to fall apart at any moment, the sight of the damage that severed limbs had already done to people had got the panic well set into them both. Everyone who could was trying to get out of the kill zone, but right now there was no telling which of them were doing so fast enough. That cloud could collapse at any second, and when it did there would be no stopping it. Not even for the Justice League.<p>

But until then, the people could still be helped. As many as possible could still be carried clear. That was exactly what Shayera was doing now. She would be useless up there in the skies with the other heroes trying to push that cloud away from Metropolis before it was too late. At least down here she could still make a difference.

At first the woman seemed scared. The child definitely was. No amount of soothing would likely help right now. These people were petrified. The only thing that could help that would be for them to get out of the danger zone. That was why that was all Shayera was interested in doing. She flew, as fast and direct as she could for the nearest spot where she felt safe to say the pieces of the cloud would not hit when they fell. She focused on it so much that she wasn't even keeping an eye on how successful her fellow Leaguers were proving in holding that cloud together until the moment when everyone clear. She was so focused on it that she wasn't even keeping a watchful eye on John.

_John_. Now there was something she was having to battle to keep off her mind. Oh, how ready she was to allow that man to distract her right now. He certainly knew how to time things. Years of awkwardness, months of unnecessary refusal, weeks of infuriation, and now he had finally given in to his feelings. He had finally said that he loved her once again .

Yet she _couldn't _think about that right now. She _couldn't_. She needed her head clear. She needed her focus. These two people in her arms were all the motivation she needed to remember that. Them, and people just like them, needed her.

It probably wasn't really long, but it had felt like an age. Either way, she was finally clear of the danger zone. She had the woman and child beyond were the pieces would fall. Shayera therefore didn't hesitate. She swooped and set down the pair gently on the streets there. Instantly the child curled up at her mother's side, practically in tears. The mother however, had overcome the incident just enough to look at Shayera before she flew away. She gave Shayera a single nod with teary eyes of her own, a single nod that spoke of tremendous gratitude.

But no matter how good it was to receive that thanks, it wasn't enough. That woman and child were not alone. There were many other families, many other innocents out there in need of rescue. And Shayera was still in a position to help them. That was why she was immediately taking to the air all over again, flying right back towards that deadly cloud and the still populated city blocks below it.

"Shayera to Green Arrow, I'm heading back in!" she called out over the comm as she flew back through the city every bit as fast as she had flown the other way. Ever since the missile had struck, Green Arrow had become organiser for all on the ground. From atop the skyscraper where she had left him, he was watching, observing, guiding all of the evacuation attempts, liaising between Justice Leaguers to help get as many people clear as they could. "Where do you want me?"

"On the waterfront," Green Arrow's voice crackled back to her over the comm. "The guys already on the ground could sure use a hand. Plenty of people still down there, looking like they don't realise walls and rooftops will be any help against this sort of storm."

"Maybe you should send them to visit me over here then!" Flash's voice suddenly leapt in. Apparently he was listening in on the conversation, no doubt just keeping tabs on the situation beyond his own part of the quest. Shayera knew what he was up to, knew what he meant. He and Superman were still busy trying to clear that last building the cloud had managed to hit before the missile had struck it. From the background noises, it sounded like they better finish up soon. It sounded like the tower wouldn't be standing for too much longer.

"Or maybe you could stop jogging and get running? That way you and Superman can join me down there!" Shayera called back to Flash as she immediately set off for the waterfront. She had said it with a light-heartedness reminiscent of Wally himself, but the sentiment was still true. She and the others could sure use the help of Superman and the Flash right about now. Wally seemed to pick up on that too.

"Lugging people around can slow me down, but I'll be there just as soon as the Flash train has dropped off the passengers at the station!"

The comm clicked off at that. Shayera didn't need to say more, and neither did Flash. What was more, it seemed Green Arrow had left the chat a while ago, surely to guide someone else. It was time to just concentrate on the flight, on the race to get people out and to safety. However, she didn't get very far before the thunder roared.

It was loud, tumultuous, _terrifying_. And there was only one place where it could have come from; the cloud.

Shayera's eyes darted up there rapidly. It was safe to say that in that moment she was scared. She knew what this could mean, and in that moment seeing what was happening up there did nothing to assuage those fears. Despite the Justice League's efforts, the cloud was now falling apart. Fast. One bit in particular. The thunder was clearly from it, an entire chunk that looked ready to fall.

How it clung on Shayera didn't want to guess. This was just a moment for the proverbial gift horse. At least half of the cloud seemed to be hanging on by only the merest tendrils of energy. Any less and surely everyone below it would have been doomed. As it was, no one seemed to have been hurt, not even the Justice Leaguers so close to it.

Including GL.

Yet. That thing could go at any second. Shayera would have been well within her rights to want to get out of there, but instead she made to keep going further in, to go to those people still trapped underneath the mass of death. However, it was just as she begun to push herself on even harder and more forcefully than ever that she noticed one other key thing about that dying cloud.

It was _moving_. Moving out towards the bay. Slowly, granted, but it _was _moving clear. And it wasn't anything GL or the rest were doing either. It was doing so _under its own power. _There was only one possible explanation for that that Shayera could see, only one cause.

Batman and Wonder Woman weren't dead yet.

The missile couldn't have destroyed the mental realm the clouds innards possessed, or not totally anyway. There was still hope. Those two must still have control of the thing, or as much as they could have with it so close to death. Those two must be pressing on with the original plan, to get _everyone _to safety.

To say Shayera was glad at that thought was putting it mildly. For the second time that day she had thought her friends had died when she saw that missile explode in the cloud. Now she knew otherwise, and now the people of Metropolis had more of a chance than they had before.

The problem was it was still likely a very small chance. That thunder moments ago was enough of a signal that the cloud didn't have long. There was every chance that even Diana and Batman wouldn't be able to get the thing clear before it could no longer hold itself together. And there was every chance that the damage done already could soon kill the pair of them yet.

The battle was still on. Shayera and the others would have to keep fighting it, have to keep trying to get the people clear and the cloud over the ocean. Now they just had Batman and Wonder Woman trying to do the same from inside the thing.

But that was enough to give Shayera hope again. Just so long as the pair of them could make it.

* * *

><p>Earth's two heroes were living up to their word. She could sense it. She could sense that they were still out there, that they hadn't fled from the cloud. She and the others weren't abandoned by them. They were out there, risking their lives to move the cloud. Risking their lives to create new bodies for herself and all of the other Martians.<p>

M'vall could sense it all. Telepathically she could feel the very core of the cloud changing. Using the ability of the place to alter its shape, what physical element there was was being moulded. It was being _devolved_. It was being reverted into what it originally was. It was being turned back into the scores of Martian bodies.

In that moment M'vall was definitely feeling hope, but she was also feeling regret. She was regretting how she had accused Wonder Woman and the Bat Man of betraying them, of killing them all. They may yet die, but it wasn't the fault of those two, or J'onn. They were heroes in every sense of the word. They were heroes of the Martian race, all of them, and they were undeserving of how she had treated them. The fact that they could well never get out of there alive only made matters worse. There would no third chances now their second was over. If they did not survive this, there would be no way for her to thank them for trying.

And really, things weren't looking good. The cloud didn't have long left, a length of time that was growing increasingly shorter. M'vall detected as a massive section almost detached, an action which would _not _be good. Wonder Woman and the Bat Man just about managed to catch it and keep it connected, but it wasn't easy for them. Already their efforts were requiring great strain. Already the pair were really starting to suffer. Telepathically M'vall could feel the burdens that were bearing down on their linked minds. The pressure must have been tremendous. Not only was their task vast in terms of size and difficulty, but it would also be one requiring a great deal of concentration and focus spread across it all. It was a task that would require a great deal of energy, and with both the removal of the human batteries and the drain that the Imperium's last gasp assault would have wrought, it meant the two of them were also having to compensate by throwing even more of their own energies into the efforts.

Long story short, it was remarkable that the two of them had lasted _this_ long.

And they still had a ways to go. A long way to saving more than just the lives of all those still in the cloud, but an entire race. Oh, how M'vall was regretting everything.

Oh, how she hoped that in a few minutes she would _still _be able to regret it all.

The Bat Man and the Wonder Woman _had _to hold on. They _had _to.

* * *

><p>If only there was something he could do to help. If only there was some way he could at least take away some of the pain that his friends were suffering for his people. If only...<p>

But there was nothing that J'onn could do. _Everything _depended on Diana and Batman now. He could only watch on and hope. He could only hope that his people _and _his friends would survive this. However likely that was.

Just like M'vall and all of the others, J'onn was deep in meditation. By stretching out with his mind he could sense everything that was going on. He knew that Batman and Wonder Woman were managing to move the cloud away from Metropolis, but he also knew that it was a slow process. He knew that they would need time, which they may well not have. He knew that bodies for the Martians were right now being forged within the cloud's core, but he also knew that to maintain enough energy from it to save everyone, this could not be an aggregative process. Everyone had to depart at once. Including himself. It was the only way that Batman and Wonder Woman could succeed, the only way that they could survive.

And it meant that they were all sharing the risk.

That J'onn was more than ready to do, even if he wished there was some way that he could get his people clear quicker. But he didn't want to abandon his friends. If nothing else, he could maybe help Batman and Wonder Woman to see this thing through simply by the fact that they were not alone.

Because, based on the pain the two were giving off, it was clear that they could certainly do with the help, no matter how strong they were. It was just a shame that there wasn't much he could give.

And even worse, it might prove to be a real shame for _everyone_...

* * *

><p>Even with the cloud dying, their link to the core remained strong. Even with the cloud dying, they were able to assert control. Even with the cloud dying, they were managing to move it away from the city. Through the merger with the core they were issuing all the commands, fighting to get the cloud to the relative safety of the ocean <em>and <em>keep it all together. At the same time, they were fighting to change the very shape of the core, to split it and mould it back into life.

And it certainly was a fight. All that they were doing and all that it was taking to do it was causing one massive strain on just two minds. There was no wonder that Bruce had felt the need to warn her about what might happen. Already Wonder Woman's head was throbbing from the effort, and they had only just begun.

Thank Hera that she was a fighter. Bruce too. If they hadn't been they may well have already succumbed to the pain. To the end of all things.

Thank Hera they were also only mental projections. She and Bruce, despite everything they were putting themselves through, had not separated from each others embrace. Despite hell descending around them, they hadn't broken from the kiss. Diana had no intention of doing either. From the link she knew that Bruce felt exactly the same. After all, they had plenty of lost time to make up for, and could well not have much time to do it in.

The quakes were still rumbling all around them, the cloud still being ripped apart by whatever the outside world had done to it. Between them Wonder Woman and Batman only just managed to keep hold of a massive chunk of cloud as it tried to tear loose. They were still over the city. They still had much work to do on recreating the Martian forms. They still had a way to go before they dare let the cloud start to end. And yet in the effort of holding onto that piece of the cloud, it felt like another dagger was being plunged into Wonder Woman's brain, a feeling made all the worse by the fact she registered Batman in the exact same pain. If her eyes were open she knew she would see the pain in his face, and vice versa. The Olympian gods, his training, her own, nothing could have prepared either of them for _this_. But they just had to make it through. They had to.

* * *

><p>The cloud was <em>moving<em>. Without them doing anything to it, the cloud was moving, away from the city and its people. It might not make it, but there was hope. Right now, Green Lantern would take that. Just a minute ago, he had not expected even that much.

It must have been Batman, Wonder Woman and J'onn. It had to be. Those three were founding members of the Justice League for a reason. They were heroes, survivors, fighters. How they were doing it John didn't know. He also didn't care. He only cared if they could keep it up, if they could get this cloud away from the city before it couldn't hold itself together any longer. And, of course, that they would then be able to get themselves out of that thing.

But right now things still weren't looking entirely promising. That chunk of the cloud almost falling on the still occupied Metropolis waterfront was still fresh on GL's mind. They couldn't risk that happening again. Batman, Wonder Woman and their Martian allies may be working on saving the day, but there was nothing to say that they had to do so alone. There was nothing to say that he had to become nothing more than a spectator. He still had his power ring after all, and it wasn't due for recharging yet.

"Come on everyone! Keep pushing!" he called out to all his team-mates up there in the skies with him in the battle. He hadn't been alone in noticing the change. Captain Atom, Red Tornado and the rest had all spotted the cloud beginning to move too. To say they were showing signs of surprise wouldn't be a lie, but they had to react. There was no time for any pause. It was that message that GL was now eager to share. "That thing may be moving but it can always get faster! Lets give it the motivation it needs!"

And he immediately fired all the energy he could into the thing in the shape of a giant green bulldozer, somehow mustering even more willpower than he had been doing before. The others were soon issuing their own efforts alongside his. None of it was overly successful, but it was something. It was a helping hand. Perhaps it was exactly the helping hand that those inside the cloud would need. GL certainly hoped so.

However, the sight of the cloud in the next seconds made that hope seem very slender. From the look of the cloud right then, death seemed far more likely.

Still over the city, it seemed like this was the cloud's end.

* * *

><p>In the last moments they had managed to move the cloud further, they had managed to speed up the reverse engineering of the core. In fact, the core had now practically become several scores of conjoined Martians. Wonder Woman wasn't sure which of them it was, but either she, Batman or both of them had managed to turn the endless pain into a motivator. It wasn't going away by any means, but now they were both turning it into the encouragement to press even harder, even faster. If they hadn't been doing, then it had been getting ever clearer that they wouldn't make it.<p>

And they had to make it.

But the pain was increasing. The effort was stretching their minds even further, but they were doing it regardless. Wonder Woman could take the pain. She had done so many times before. She was ready to sacrifice herself if she had to. Batman was exactly the same there. And as things stood, that couldn't be ruled out. Not by a long way.

Especially at the sensation that hit them both next. The core, rapidly becoming Martians again, gave them the warning that it was coming. The end was nigh.

Wonder Woman could sense it all. Through the core she could see it coming. She knew the outside world would see it by now too, via the rippling energy on the outside. There was a rupture forming, a formation of cracks running its way throughout the entirety of the cloud's being. It was spreading too, starting from a lone point but spreading like shattering glass. Worse, it was already unstoppable. The cloud _was _falling apart, and there would be too many pieces to hold them all together as she and Batman had done before. This was it. This was the death of the energy cloud. As soon as the yield point was breached, as soon as those cracks widened enough to create fissures separating one part from another, it was done. They had perhaps a minute, maybe two at the most.

And that was less time than they needed. How they had been working it, they would need at least five. It was a good job, then, that thoughts could be issued far, far quicker than spoken words. In fact, it enabled an entire conversation to flow in only a few seconds. That was vital. Right now, they needed a new plan, fast.

"_There's still a way, Princess. It's even riskier than before, our chances of survival will be slim at best, but its now all we have."_

"_What is it?" _Wonder Woman returned instantly after Batman had immediately set the ball rolling. _"Bruce, we don't exactly have a choice here..."_

"_I know, Princess. I know. This whole thing works on energy. It's all about mental strength. The pain we've been feeling in our heads, that's been because we've been flooding _our _mental strength into the cloud's core in the form of commands. Yet we've been holding back. We were working to the time-scale that we had, not least of all because that meant that we still had some small chance to survive this in one piece. Now we have to step up the plan. Now we can't think about ourselves. Now we have to give the core everything that we have. One last all-or-nothing burst of energy. One last burst that will get the Martians back in their bodies and out of here, and direct every piece of this thing into the ocean. One last burst that will take everything that we have. And it really will be all-or-nothing. Either we have enough strength left to bring about what needs to be done, or none of it will happen and we all die with the cloud."_

"_I thought as much," _Wonder Woman summed it all up. _"But one slight change, Bruce. If there is anything, _any _way that we have even the slightest bit of strength left over, _we _aren't hanging around as this thing falls apart. No matter how we end up back in the real world, we've come too far to give up on that."_

"_I haven't given up, Princess," _Batman felt quick to reassure her. _"I just didn't want to give you any false hope on this. The chances of there being sufficient strength left for us to extract our minds after all of the Martians are clear is slim. The chances of being able to do so enough that our minds aren't broken on the other side is even slimmer."_

"_Well then it sounds like I've got plenty of work left to do in teaching you to hope again." _Wonder Woman thought the smile to go with those words, even at a time like this. She felt oddly compelled to enjoy this moment more than normal. Perhaps it was because Bruce was right again. There was every chance that this would be her last truly conscious one. For all that she had done, for what she was about to do, she had every right to enjoy it. And with Bruce at her side, that wasn't a difficult thing to achieve, irrespective of everything else. Regardless, even if she was as down about this as it was possible to get her sentiment would hold true. _"Remind me of that when we're done here."_

"_Its been _more _than an honour, Princess," _Bruce couldn't resist thinking something that sounded too damn close to a goodbye. Diana didn't like hearing him sounding like that, despite greatly respecting the words, but she knew that Bruce needed to say them. It was one of the differences between them, the kind of thing that made them far more interesting together than if they were just the same.

But that was another thought that Diana didn't particularly enjoy in that moment. It was too much of a reminder of just how much she and Bruce could be about to miss out on. It made her think too much about the life that she and Bruce _might _have had if things had been different. The life if they were just normal people instead of superheroes. The life if they had both admitted their feelings a long time ago. The life if this cloud hadn't shown up at the Earth. The life if the unbelievable happened and they actually survived this. And all of them ended well. All of them were happy. Not exactly normal or the traditional fairy tale, but happy and rich and full.

And they could be about to miss out on all of that. They could, and in all likeliness _would_, be about to sacrifice that future. Yet it was the right thing to do. It was what they _had _to do. And too much time had already been spent on reminiscing, imagining and discussing. It was time. It was time for the end, for the all-or-nothing moment. She gave Bruce that exact message, despite him not needing to hear it.

"_Let's do this_."

Nothing more was said, or thought, on the matter. Nothing was left to be discussed. Not then anyway. Not unless they survived. Now their thoughts were needed elsewhere. That was why they both were directing every single ounce of mental energy they had into giving the cloud's core its last commands. All at once.

_Finalise the Martian bodies._

_Take each Martian mind from the realm of the cloud and back into their new form._

_Drain the energy from as many of the parts of the fragmenting cloud as they could._

_Put the Martians into one of those segments._

_Send it, and them, down to the city and to safety, neutrally charged so that no-one would get hurt._

_Direct as many of the charged parts of the cloud to fall into the ocean as they could, for when the fragments could no longer hold._

_Send J'onn's mind out of the cloud in the same manner it was brought here, and back into his own body on the Watchtower._

In those terms it all sounded so simple. In truth it was anything but. It was all happening in seconds, but the pain had ramped itself up incredibly. That was what happened when you throw all that you had into a dying being, Wonder Woman guessed. Or at least that was what she would have guessed, if the pain had let her. She hadn't the strength left to fight it. All her strength was going into making sure those commands were being fulfilled, so much so that she wasn't even able to pay attention to Batman's mind any more. Still, she knew without thinking or recognition that he would be in the exact same boat. Perhaps even worse without the durability that she possessed.

But for all the pain, there was reward. There _was _hope. For every moment of agony, there was a moment of ecstasy. The cloud was shattering, the core was practically gone, but Wonder Woman could still recognise the signs. The thoughts, the pain, it was all worth it. The commands were working. The cloud may have been crumbling, but the majority was crumbling towards the waters. And J'onn and all of his fellow Martians; they were on their way out of here. It had worked. Their sacrifice had not been in vain.

Because it was looking more and more like a sacrifice. The hurt and the effort had left both Wonder Woman and Batman weak. Both of them, they had practically no strength left. In fact, Wonder Woman was fighting not to simply lose consciousness right there and then, despite still being trapped in the cloud that was falling apart all around her. The quakes that had been roaring through the place had been replaced simply by blinding flashes of light as it was clear the energy was being ripped away all around them, but Diana didn't have enough energy of her own to truly recognise all of that. By that time she barely had the strength to issue a last pair of thoughts, a pair of thoughts that she so dearly hoped didn't prove to be her very last.

_Send Batman and I back to our bodies._

"_It was my honour too, Bruce."_

She severely doubted that the first would work. Relative to what the rest had taken, she certainly didn't feel as if she had the strength left to pull this off, but as she had told Batman, they had to try. As for the second thought, well this time it had been she who had been unable to resist. If this was the end that she thought it was, then she too had to say goodbye.

That was it though. That was when everything went dark, when either she blacked out or the cloud finally gave in. Either way, that was the moment when it all ended.

And yet, through all of that, from beginning to end, they had never broken from the kiss that meant so much to both of them.

The kiss that had, unbeknownst to them, truly given them both the strength and desire to get as far as they had...

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN:**_

_**Review please! **_

_**And still let me know re the note two chapters back if you should be interested. No one really so far which is fair enough, but I will keep the offer on the table for a week or two, just in case.**_


	31. Chapter 30: Spirit in the Sky

**Chapter 30: Spirit in the Sky**

He was still watching, still keeping tabs on things. He was still trying to dig up _some _way that he could help from up on the Watchtower, but all of that was proving beyond fruitless. Still, Mr. Terrific couldn't exactly just sit back, watch and eat popcorn. He had to try and help out out all of his fellow Justice Leaguers, and at the very least keep a weather eye open for any signs of other dangers, just in case he had to warn his friends and colleagues.

And that was why, despite being so far away, he saw it all unfold. He had seen the cloud's final attacks on Metropolis, had seen as the military had fought back, and he had seen the Justice League's desperate attempt to get that cloud out of the city and away from the danger zone.

But most importantly now, he had sign all of the signs of the cloud's end, before the others had got it clear.

Except they weren't the signs that he was expecting. They weren't the signs of death.

Instead, they were signs of true hope for all of this.

* * *

><p>Snapper Carr had hardly moved. He was still laid out in the remains of his news helicopter, exactly where it had been left in the city after being almost totally destroyed, forgotten. In truth he still didn't feel like he could move. He was still feeling the full brunt of the hurt the aliens had unleashed on him, <em>wherever <em>he had been before he woken up here again. It wasn't as bad as it had been before he had returned, but it was still bad. It was still practically crippling.

But at least from here he could still see what was going on up there, high in the sky. When this was all over, and just as soon as he was feeling up to it, he would still have a story to tell. And, no matter how it ended, what a story it would be. That said, though, Snapper was still dreaming of this tale having a happy ending. Even if bad news sold better, _any _news needed to have a surviving audience to hear it.

Right now, though, a true corner stone of the piece was unfolding. Even without being completely clued in, without having all the details and the full low down on the situation, he could still recognise the signs of such a significant event. It was pretty blatant that this was the end. The fact that the energy cloud that had once looked so menacingly unstoppable was now falling to pieces made it shockingly clear.

And yet that wasn't the only story up there. Nor was what that cloud falling apart could mean for the people like him still in the city.

No, _this _Snapper _really _hadn't expected to see.

Without taking his eyes off the sight unfolding up there before everyone, Snapper turned to his cameraman, still sat there at his side. This. _This _would sell the story for months to come. The fight with this cloud and all that he had been through was already a story which could make a career. _This_ could mean his name would go down forever in the journalism hall of fame.

This could mean the world was saved.

And it could mean an awful lot for just two of the world's most prominent heroes.

"Tell me you've some way of getting this?!"

* * *

><p>Stood atop the skyscraper, Green Arrow saw it all. In his current role directing the Justice League's evacuation efforts, it was his job to be watchful, to see everything. Even if it hadn't been, this was something that would prove to be well worth seeing.<p>

It had only been a matter of minutes since that missile had made it into the centre of the cloud, letting loose its entire payload right in the heart of the neutralised threat. From how desperate GL and Shayera had been to stop it, Arrow didn't need to have the inside track on what was going on to know that it hadn't been something the League had wanted to let happen. There had been a plan, a plan that was working. Or _had been _working, before the military had decided to weigh in. Arrow had spent enough of this situation alongside Mulligan to know without doubt that it was he who had given the order. The man had never been happy with the Justice League's methods, had wanted the cloud destroyed right from the start, in spite of the consequences. He certainly wasn't happy about Batman's plan to end this, and so he had clearly unleashed one of his own. And now a lot of people could be about to suffer.

Bats. Diana. J'onn. They were all still up there, and from the sound of things so were a lot of other people who needed saving. People needed saving down here too, but the bad guys who had brought the cloud here weren't the threat any more. It was Mulligan and his damn missile.

Yet the damage was already done. That much was as plain as day. There would be no going back from it, no undoing it. They could only try and save the day in spite of it.

The cloud was fractured, rupturing, its energy no longer vibrant. The thing was dying, and dying right above the city. It was ripping apart, crumbling into pieces, pieces that would soon have to fall. Based on what they had seen so far, those would be pieces falling down right on top of the people still sheltering by the Metropolis waterfront.

And the heroes down there trying to save them.

"Green Arrow to Shayera!" he called hurriedly down his comm. It had only been a couple of minutes since he had sent her in there. It was only proper that he let her know exactly what he had sent her into. "In case you've been too busy to pay attention, you might want to hurry things along! I reckon we're well into our final countdown here!"

"I've seen it, Arrow, but I'm not abandoning these people!" Shayera's voice returned, sounding strained as if she was currently carrying plenty of weight. "We've got friends up there, we have to trust that they can do their job!"

"It's too late, there's nothing GL and the rest can do!" Green Arrow began to argue, remembering all the futile efforts before to stop all of this. "We...need... I mean... Its..."

Arrow's attempted sentences all droned off before they had properly begun. The developing sight had that effect on him. Time was already up. This was the clouds time of dying, the precise moment of it. Arrow watched to his horror as all the energy that was left rippling around the thing imploded deep towards the clouds innards, coupled with a thunderous roar. The next moment, the ruptures seemed to grow, the pieces of the cloud getting further apart. What was left joining it all together was getting stretched far too thin.

But there was enough time left for one final act by the cloud, a final act that Green Arrow had never seen coming. Despite it all, despite the cloud being only a second from becoming a thousand deadly pieces, it still found the time to change its shape one last time.

It was gone almost as soon as it had appeared, but it still lasted long enough for Green Arrow to draw in every line, every trace of it. Not only that, but Green Arrow knew that this would be something that the whole world would see, that it would become one of the world's truly enduring images. It went beyond the fact that it was almost symbolic of a final effort to save the world, an effort that looked like it might well work. It was an especially powerful sight as no one out there would likely have seen it coming, and yet at the same time it just looked so _right_.

Once before the cloud had changed into the combined symbols of Batman and Wonder Woman. Now it had changed into the shape of the two themselves, with them still inside the thing.

An image of the two of them, locked in the most _passionate _of embraces.

* * *

><p>Green Lantern was still fighting, still trying to drive the cloud away from the city in tandem with what was clearly the efforts of Batman and Wonder Woman. The others up there around him were all doing so too. It was in the midst of those actions that they all saw it.<p>

The implosion of the energy the cloud still had, the tearing of its remaining pieces into even smaller parts, the darkening of it all. The cloud was dying, finally and without reversal. This was it, all too soon. It was still over the city...

But as things evolved, moments before the actual end Green Lantern saw and understood that their helpers were not done yet. Batman and Wonder Woman still had one last bout of tricks up their sleeves.

Before all of that though, GL couldn't help but focus on simply _what _he saw. His talk with Diana in the Watchtower's commissary seemed like so very long ago, but in truth it had only been hours at most. How quickly things could change. How much people could go through in so short a time, especially when they were in love. Especially when they were _those two _in love. Seeing them both up there, visually formed in the cloud up in the skies for all to see, locked in each other's hold, it brought everything home.

Next to him in the sky, Green Lantern saw Captain Atom turn to look at him in shock at that moment. For someone whose entire head was made of energy within a suit, he was sure showing plenty of surprise. No doubt all the others were too, though none would be finding it an unpleasant one. Batman and Wonder Woman. They just had that effect on people. Right now, with the whole world surely watching what was happening here, a whole lot of people would be feeling that pleasant surprise.

But things weren't done here. Batman and Wonder Woman wouldn't have done this just to show off their feelings for each other. This was all part of the fight, part of the effort to ensure this cloud harmed as few people as possible. GL didn't know all the ins and outs of the cloud, but he was still sure that everything they were doing, including the cloud changing its shape to show them off, was connected. It was all a part of saving Metropolis, _and _the entire Martian race. GL was not about to let those efforts be lost in vain by losing his own focus. He had to keep his concentration. He had to keep fighting.

However, the moment when the cloud finally shattered showed just how much Batman and Wonder Woman had fought. What had just been an image of two of Earth's best was now just thousands of shards of death. This had been what GL had feared for a while now, pieces of the cloud falling from the body towards the city, ready to kill all they touched...

Only they weren't falling towards the city. Somehow, thankfully, the finally traces of energy in the cloud exploded stateside, blasting the shards outwards. Those shards, they were all falling towards the ocean, out of harms way. _Somehow_, Batman and Wonder Woman _had_ saved the day.

Although, there was one piece that didn't go that way, one piece that did go towards the city. He had managed to keep himself prepared, but even with the power of his ring GL couldn't stop it, just as he couldn't stop the pieces that had fallen before. The efforts of the others couldn't do anything significant against it either. However, as the last bastion of what had once been a vast cloud smashed through the green light, GL noticed that it wasn't as _energetic _as before.

And that alone made him realise that maybe this was all a part of the plan too.

* * *

><p>Flash finally stopped running, dropping off the final few Metropolis citizens he had been carrying clear of the last tower the cloud had hit. It had been pretty hairy at moments, but he had managed to get everyone out in one piece. Some might need looking after to stay in tip top shape, but they were all alive.<p>

He hadn't taken them all the way. He hadn't carried all of those people all of the way out of the city, or all of the way to Mulligan's military checkpoint where the government's evacuation was centred. He had taken them far enough so that they wouldn't be threatened when their tower finally fell, or hopefully so that they were now beyond the cloud's immediate reach.

That was why Superman had finally been able to let the tower fall. He had directed it of course, minimising the collateral damage as much as Kryptonianly possible, but Flash had still seen the dust cloud forming as the tonnes of concrete and metal and glass hit the deck. Still, he hadn't stayed watching for long. The action was still ongoing, and the director had yet to call cut. He planned on waiting only long enough for Supes to display his own super speed and join him so that they could head off together to save the next bunch of civilians. However, when Big Boy Blue did arrive, that plan never came to be. The big bang was too distracting.

It boomed out just seconds after Superman had whizzed into view, meaning that both Flash and Supes were looking up into the skies before there was even a chance to say hello. In doing so, they both saw it all unfolding, as did all those rescued people just behind them. Flash tried not to listen to all the gasps, the screams, the shouts of surprise, in no small part because it probably wouldn't do to let them see he was feeling all the emotion right there with them. They still needed him and the others to be strong.

This was the clouds end. Flash saw the energy draw in, breaking the whole thing apart. It was done for, pieces being sent scattering. But they weren't sent scattering out over the city. They had all been _directed_, almost every part out towards the ocean. Only one major bit was sent the other way, but Flash quickly put it all together. This _wasn't _the end that they had all feared. This was what they had _wanted_, what they had planned. The sight that had gone out to the world the moment before the cloud had broken apart showed that.

Bats and Wondy. _Kissing._

He had hardly been able to believe it the first time he had seen it, deep within the cloud. Even after J'onn had confirmed that there had long been something brewing between those two, Flash had been amazed by it. Seeing it all happening again now, he was still amazed. Bats and Wondy. Wow. Just... wow.

Apparently Flash wasn't the only one who had been late to learn about this. The two must have been playing their cards close to their chests, until they just stuck them out there for the entire world to see. Even their best buddy looked shocked. _Especially _their best buddy seemed shocked.

Superman's jaw was hung lower than his cape from the instant the cloud showed Bats and Wondy duelling tongues. It stayed there beyond the cloud's final end, beyond the end of all of the danger that had plagued this day. Flash was just about starting to feel the need to give him a prod, since they did need to move things along after all. However, all of a sudden Superman's jaw closed, his head tilting as if he was listening to something off in the distance. Then his face completely turned from one of shock and into one of concern all over again.

"Hey big guy, wazzup?" Wally was quick to press. There was no sense in hanging around. Things had just started to look good. They couldn't go wrong now. This story needed a happy ending. Metropolis had to be safe. The Martians had to be safe. Bats and Wondy had to be safe...

"Something's going on across the city," Superman quickly responded, breaking from his reverie of listening to address Flash. "There's no time to explain. We have to get to General Mulligan's command post. Come on!"

As soon as those last words ended, Flash was left looking at a red and blue blur. He didn't hesitate long before he was a scarlet one himself.

But despite that, despite the signs of hope he had just seen, Supes' reaction just now meant that all he could feel was worry.

* * *

><p>Most of the others had gone off to help out in the city with the evacuation, particularly as they had pulled people out of the cloud to lord knows where. The cloud had managed to absorb so many people during that first attack. Perhaps they had returned right into the parts of Metropolis that were most at risk, perhaps into areas that everyone else had thought were already cleared of the living. Wherever they were though, they wouldn't be in perfectly tiptop shape. They would all need a hand to get themselves clear before that cloud died, and so the Justice League magicians had set out to lend them that hand.<p>

But Zatanna had not been among that group. Unlike the majority, she still had a job to do here. When they had sent him back into the cloud, his body had stayed behind. It hadn't been sent back up to the Watchtower as Shayera's had been, it had stayed here, with them. It had made sense. They had learned from the people of Metropolis that the immediate medical attention and life support weren't necessary to sustain the bodies of the stolen minds, Batman himself showing that back then that the return of the mind was enough to reawaken the body. What was more, by keeping him close they had a way of keeping an eye on things. The body and mind were still linked somehow, that was how the magicians had been able to reacquaint them without an excessive struggle. If something terrible had happened to Bruce's mind in there, if something had gone wrong with the plan, then seeing the _potential_ change in his body would act as their early warning device to maybe set things right.

And Bruce – or his physicality at least – was still here, laid out prone at the area the magicians had been using as their own. Zatanna was not about to abandon him when everything went down, nor was she about to send him away. She still had to keep a watch on him. There hadn't been any reaction from Bruce's physical form from the moment that he had gone back into that thing despite the magicians suspicions of what may happen, but Zatanna wasn't going to rule out the chance of anything happening yet. The anchor may no longer be in place, she may not be anywhere near as powerful as the combined force of the Justice League magicians, but she also couldn't leave. If he needed it, she had to be here to try and pull Bruce out of there, however she could.

That was why she was at the height of her watchfulness, hardly even blinking. She was just staring down at the prone and still Batman, trying to ignore the feelings seeing her oldest and perhaps closest friend in that state brought up. However, that didn't mean her eye corners were blind. It was out of one of them that she saw the beginning of the cloud's end.

She stumbled backwards in recoil at the sight of the energy imploding into it. She didn't know how many of the others were with him, but Bruce was definitely still in that thing. If it was gone...

But then Zatanna saw the change. Just like everyone else, she saw the moment when the cloud altered its form. She saw that moment when it became Bruce, and Diana, _together_.

It was then that Zatanna knew that Bruce was still fighting, and when he was fighting, there was always hope. No matter how grim things might appear, Batman could always find a way out. It didn't mean that he would be able to take it, but there was a chance, and that was all that mattered to mean that now was too early to grieve. Besides, before Bruce had gone back into that thing, she had told him that he and Diana were a great team, that they worked well together, that they would fight harder being together so that they would have even more chance of pulling this mission off. Well they were definitely together now.

And they would both be trying to get out of this. Zatanna was sure about that. They both had too much to live for.

The image of their kiss didn't last very long, though. The cloud just hold together for long enough for it to show, but that was about it. Soon it was detonating, pieces sent scattering. From down on the ground, even Zatanna could pick out the precise nature of the energy detonation. Most of those pieces were sent out over the ocean, away from the people of Metropolis. She also figured why. It made her look down at Bruce again, feeling great pride and joy. He had done it. Together with Diana, he had just saved many lives.

However, as she glanced back up again, that joy became short lived. There was one, solitary piece of the cloud that hadn't been blasted out over the waters. One solitary piece that was probably the biggest of the lot. One solitary piece that was headed right this way.

She wasn't naïve enough to think that she would simply stop it by herself where Green Lantern and the others in the sky had failed, but she had still had to try. Nevertheless, her spell too had failed to stop the thing. Before she knew it the ball of what energy was left in the chunk was on them. She had no time but to brace herself and hope, one hand clutching on to Bruce's motionless shoulder as if the action would help to protect both of them.

But the chunk of cloud missed. It didn't land where she and Bruce were. It overshot. Not by much. In fact, by just enough so as to land right in the middle of General Mulligan's base camp.

It was a remarkable shot. The thing had landed right in the middle of the plaza where the military had set up, right in the empty space in the centre of it where no one was stood who couldn't get out of the way. Almost as if it had been carefully aimed to do exactly that.

The entire plaza was momentarily illuminated by the light that blob of energy was throwing out, but through that Zatanna could still see the military reacting. They were looking scared, including the General himself. They were all looking ruffled having rushed and dove out of the way, but they were also looking ready to act. Guns and other weapons were being hurriedly drawn. For it was becoming obvious that it wasn't _just _energy that had landed in their midst. From the centre of all of that light, forms were becoming visible, very life like shapes in the middle of the final chunk of the cloud. It was _those _that the military were getting ready to fight. Zatanna, however, had other suspicions of what they might be. This part of the cloud had been _sent _here, into a very specific place amidst so many areas where so much damage could have been done. She knew what the plan had been, what had been _inside _that cloud. All the pieces just fit together too well for it to be any other answer.

If Bruce and Diana _were_ behind this, then the military _couldn't _attack. Those forms, they weren't likely to be enemies. They _were _likely to be friends. The military _had _to be warned, before any rash actions were taken that would quickly be regretted...

But Zatanna couldn't go in. She couldn't go and give the General that message. With the cloud gone, she knew that it had to be now, or he would never be waking up.

And in that moment, she saw Bruce's hand twitch.


	32. Chapter 31: Exit Stage Right

**Chapter 31: Exit Stage Right**

General Mulligan had seen it all go down. He had seen the cloud look remarkably _ill_, had seen as it became the form of two of the Justice Leagues premier heroes in a rather intimate scene, and he had seen the cloud's final end, including so much of its malignant pieces crashing harmlessly into the waters of the ocean. However, right now he didn't care about any of that. None of it mattered right now. He had other priorities.

This thing was not over yet. Not since that additional piece of the cloud had landed right here, right in the middle of his base camp. He was under attack. _His_ men and women were under attack. This would _not_ stand.

But it wasn't another energy attack like the ones that had been plaguing the city. The block that landed in his camp wasn't able to absorb or kill any of them. It was blinding while its light lasted, but in itself that was it. No, the threat here wasn't from the last piece of the cloud, not the thing itself. The threat here was the forms emerging from _within _it.

Mulligan had heard the stories when Batman had exited the cloud at the half-way stage of all this turmoil. He knew that there had actually been people inside that thing, aliens of a very vicious nature. Well he would be damned if he would allow them loose on his planet just when he had destroyed their primary weapon. These people would _not _be getting the chance to attack again. That was why Mulligan had given the order. An order that he was immediately given a full showing of as he drew his own pistol.

"Everyone, weapons trained! Any sign of movement and you're to open fire! This city, this _planet, _will _not _fall today!"

* * *

><p>Her joy was remarkably short-lived. It was the same for all of them. They had made it out of the cloud. They had <em>made <em>it. They had bodies, real, physical, Martian bodies. _Their own bodies_. The Bat Man and the Wonder Woman had fulfilled their promise. M'vall and all of her people, _all _of them were alive again, truly alive. More than that, the two Earth heroes had supplied them with the means of actually making it out of the cloud, using one of the last pieces of the dying form as a means of transportation, sending them all down to the city, keeping their new physical forms safe on the way there. But after that, the cloud was gone. There was nothing that either the Bat Man, the Wonder Woman or even J'onn J'onzz could do to help them, not without actually being right there alongside them. From that moment on, they had to fend for themselves.

Which was why it was so unfortunate that straight away they found they were in dire need of aid.

They had barely touched down, barely gotten used to standing on their own two _real _feet again when the light of their transportation field faded. With the light no longer there, they could see what lay beyond. At the same time, those beyond could see them.

And those who lay beyond clearly weren't liking what they were seeing.

The weapons were alien to M'vall and the rest, but they could all recognise guns on _any_ planet, no matter what form they were in. M'vall for one had also seen enough examples of people itching to use such weapons to know when it was on display right in front of her eyes. Right now, with these humans stood encircling them, it was _exactly _the situation in which she and the Martians found themselves. These humans clearly hadn't been aware of the plan. These humans didn't know that the Martians weren't a threat, and from the look on their faces they weren't about to stop and listen to M'vall or any of her people. At best they were prisoners. At worst...

At worst they might have been better off just staying with the cloud until the end.

There was no way that they could fight back. For one thing, they were all still too weak, too unused to the physical realm after spending so long torn from it. After all, they were having to get used simply to physically _standing _again. There was no way that they could fight, even if they had been experienced fighters like J'onn had become. For another thing, they were just too well surrounded. Any aggression would just be met by superior aggression. It would only lead to them all getting killed.

They needed help. M'vall knew it immediately. They needed someone both sides could trust. Someone or a group of someones that these soldiers would listen too, who could explain that she and the Martians were not the enemy, that they were not a threat.

Once again they needed J'onn J'onzz. Once again, they needed the Justice League.

* * *

><p>Even with Batman, Shayera and the Flash now out of her care, she still had two patients left. With Wonder Woman and J'onn J'onzz still laid unconscious in their beds, it didn't matter how curious she was about what exactly was going on down in Metropolis. Dr. Conway wasn't going anywhere.<p>

There hadn't been anything that she had really had to do yet, but with the completely unknown nature of this scenario, especially for the health of those whose minds had been taken away by this mysterious threat, Conway knew that all of that could change so very quickly. She wasn't going to allow herself to be distracted if they did. Her sole duty was to her patients, to ensuring these brave heroes lived to fight another day. If that meant waiting patiently and hoping that she wouldn't be needed at all, then that was fine by her. If it meant being completely in the dark as to how the fight against that energy cloud was going, then so be it. Everything in her power would be done for those in _her _care. The rest could be left for the heroes who were better suited to it. The rest was in _their _care.

However, one distraction that Doctor Conway couldn't ignore was her own personal League communications device going off just as she was checking Wonder Woman's vital signs for the umpteenth time that hour. With Mr. Terrific's voice sounding out from it to her and with both patients still looking stable, she felt it wise to answer. If nothing else then she had to make sure that this wasn't a message telling her that she was about to get a fresh batch of patients to go with what she already had. Luckily, though, that wasn't the message.

"Hey Doc, it's Mr. Terrific. Listen, we've got plenty going down planetside, which is hopefully good news. But it means things ought to be happening with your patients. At least we hope so. Is there any change yet? Are they waking up?"

_Plenty going down_. Conway couldn't help but wonder what he meant by that, even if she didn't dwell on it. Right now, the only reason she could possibly care was regarding what exactly it would mean for J'onn and Wonder Woman.

"No signs of anything yet," she answered truthfully after taking a second to double check both heroes' vital signs. "But I– Wait! Wait, I've got something!"

Conway had to interrupt herself during that second sentence. Just as she was saying the opposite, a sign had emerged. J'onn's monitors had just changed. It was just as things had been before with the other three who had already left her care today.

"J'onn's waking up."

* * *

><p>He was awake before he realised it. He was back aboard the Watchtower, laid out in one of the beds in the structure's infirmary. It had worked. For all their effort, for all their energy, for all their pain, Batman and Diana and gotten him out of the cloud. He was alive.<p>

But that wasn't enough for him. That wasn't enough to allow him to celebrate. This day was about far more than just him. This day he had learned that there was a chance that his entire race, long thought lost for all eternity, could live once again. J'onn now had to find out if that was still the case. He had to find out of Diana and Batman had managed to save all of his fellow Martians too.

That was why before his eyes were even fully open he was stretching out was his mind, reaching out towards them as they had done to him when this whole thing had started. It didn't take him long to find them. Packed into a large group, the differences between a Martian mind and a humans would have made them easy to pick out, but he didn't even need that advantage. No, instead he could immediately lock onto them, for the simple reason that they were already reaching out to him. After centuries of entrapment since their transcendence back on Mars, they too were free. However, they were also scared. They were emitting a very definite sense that they were uncertain if they would keep their regained life for long. They were in a position where they still needed help, _his _help. That was why they were reaching out to him. It was a beg, a plead for rescue. His people needed him. They needed him to help keep their entire race alive, just after they had been reborn.

That message was coming through strong. So strong in fact, that it was overwhelming J'onn's telepathic senses. Only just awakening from having his mind ripped out from his body and then shoved back in again likely wasn't helpful, but try as he might, in that instant J'onn found he couldn't get a read on anyone _but _his race. It wasn't for a lack of trying either. At the very least he wanted to stretch back out to his wife. In spite of what all that the last hours had meant for him, he hadn't forgotten his new family in favour of his old. He had still desired to check in on her now that he was in a position where he should be able to once again. Only he found that he couldn't, because of how desperate his people were for help.

And so help he would. The rest would have to wait until afterwards.

Because of that, J'onn sat upright like a shot. He knew that he would have to act fast. However, there was every chance that he would have to do so with some help of his own. Not only that, he also had to ensure there wasn't someone else, someone right up here with him who needed his help too. A very dear friend, at that.

Only one bed over, he had to make sure that Diana was also all right.

J'onn hadn't forgotten the potential sacrifice that Batman and Wonder Woman had made. The two had given everything they had in that last gasp effort to control the cloud, even when it was dying. They had taken great anguish, risking death or worse to live up to their promise and ensure that the Martians were reborn. It was clear that those efforts had not been in vain. They had succeeded. J'onn was free of the cloud. His people, complete with fresh bodies, were free of the cloud. The only question remaining was whether those two had made it too. Batman wasn't up here, so J'onn couldn't check up on him. With Diana, it was a different story.

"Hey! Easy now," a voice was suddenly calling out as J'onn flung himself upwards, intent on crossing over to Wonder Woman to check on her vitals. Even at this close proximity, J'onn couldn't get a telepathic read on her. He hoped dearly that that was simply due to the abundance of Martian presences on his mind. However, his action had clearly firmly caught the attention of the doctors. In fact, the one name Susan Conway was already right at his side, both hands on his chest to try and prevent him from standing. "I know you hero lot like to be all tough, but you've just been through a hell of a lot. The others may have gotten past me before I could do anything but I must insist! You need to take a minute to recover, to let me make sure you're all right."

"I cannot," J'onn hurriedly answered, the tenseness that he was feeling flooding out into his voice. "I have to get down to Metropolis before things spiral out of control. Just tell me about Wonder Woman's condition. Is she awakening as I did?"

J'onn waited for Doctor Conway's response with baited breath. Unfortunately, she seemed hesitant to give one. That wasn't a good sign. She even glanced over her shoulder towards Diana, still laid prone in her bed, as if hopeful that all would have changed in the last few seconds. Alas, when she turned back to him it was with a shake of her head.

"There's no sign of any brain activity returning to her yet," Doctor Conway answered. She sounded solemn, like she had realised that it would have been now or never. She sounded almost like she had lost a patient. However, J'onn was suddenly feeling the opposite of solemn, even if he was well aware that this didn't mean everything was back to perfection. There was still every chance that the effort and the cloud's end could have done some serious damage, but Doctor Conway had turned around just a second too soon.

Wonder Woman was stirring. She was waking up too.

* * *

><p>In that first instant, she was almost certain that she could sense something, almost certain that she had felt the gods' presence around her for the faintest of moments. But then more started to come back to her.<p>

As she began to awaken properly, she could immediately tell that her head felt empty. Something was wrong. Something was..._different_. She felt mentally exhausted from all the exertion that she had just been through, but that wasn't it. It took Diana a long a moment to realise exactly what that something was, but when she did she didn't like the possible implications, and it wasn't because anything seemed to be wrong with _her_.

She couldn't feel Bruce's presence in her mind any more. She couldn't read his thoughts, access his memories, _nothing_. He just simply wasn't there. He wasn't sharing her head any more, and neither was she sharing his. The link had been broken. In that instant, Diana could only think of two possible reasons for that. Either it was simply a side effect of the cloud's destruction, there no longer being a core to tie them into one mind, or...

Or Bruce hadn't made it out of there as she apparently had.

If it hadn't been for the worry that was suddenly hitting her hard, Wonder Woman would have been noticing how remarkable it was that she felt so empty now that the link between them was gone, despite it only having been in place for a matter of minutes. And minutes that could hardly be enjoyed at that. But empty she did feel, almost lost. And yet she knew that it may be nothing yet. If her worst fears came to pass, if Bruce hadn't made it... Well, to put it simply she didn't want to think about it. About the possibility _or _about how she would react. She couldn't afford to speculate. She just had to _know_.

It was exactly because of that that she awoke with a start, literally launching herself up out of the cot and into the air. She knew where she would be without even looking, but she wasn't sure where Bruce would be after his trip out and back into the cloud before. The task was to find him, and fast. However, she only just took air when she heard someone shouting her name.

"Diana, you made it! Are you all right?"

For a brief moment Wonder Woman thought that it might have been Bruce calling out to her, but that was just a trick of a tired mind and weary eyes. As she looked properly at the Watchtower infirmary around her, she saw that it was instead J'onn that was by her side.

"I'm fine, J'onn," she was quick to reassure him, setting back down on the deck beside the bed. However, she was also very quick to ask the question that was really on her mind. "A little tired but I'm okay. Where's Batman? Did he make it? Is he here?"

Unfortunately, the doctor beside J'onn – Susan Conway – was fast shaking her head. "No, he went down planet side when he woke up before. I assume he's still down there. Why? He didn't go _back_ into that thing, did he?"

"I cannot tell," J'onn answered Wonder Woman's original question too, leaving Conway's question unanswered and ignored. It was clear he was feeling rushed about all of this too. "My telepathic senses cannot reach out at present. I cannot sense whether he has made it out of there too or not. Diana, my people made it out of the cloud. You got them safely clear, but they need our help again. They're down in the city, where Batman was. Diana, I'm sorry to have to ask this and I understand if you have other priorities, but I have to help my people, and I may need your aid."

Instantly Diana was feeling the guilt for being selfish. She knew what Bruce would say. It was maybe not how he would feel but it was definitely what he would say and what he would do. Truth be told, the exact same could be said of her. There was no choice regarding how she would react to this, not without betraying everything that defined who she was. In spite of it all though, she still _felt _like saying no, like insisting on going after Bruce first and foremost. But, this time anyway, her heart was overruled by her head.

"Of course, J'onn," she answered before Conway could speak up again, since the doctor certainly looked like trying to insist Diana stay right where she was. "Let's get down there. If the Martians are still in trouble, we must help them. We must see this through."

J'onn was immediately smiling. He looked exactly like he didn't need to read her mind right then to know exactly what thoughts were running through it. And because of that, he looked incredibly grateful.

"Don't worry, Diana," he said through the smile, even putting a reassuring hand on her bare shoulder. "Batman is strong. If anyone else could make it out of there, it will be him. And I promise you, as soon as we have ensured my people are safe, I shall assist you in every way I can in finding him, and making sure he has survived the ordeal as thankfully intact as you have."

Wonder Woman could respect exactly what J'onn was saying, but it didn't make any difference to her. Not really. Only finding Bruce alive would help there. That was why, more than ever, she was in a hurry to get on with things.

"Come on J'onn, this isn't helping. Let's get going. Let's go make sure you're people are safe."

With that, Diana immediately swept away, heading fast out of the infirmary. Without even looking, she knew that J'onn was soon fast on her heels, leaving Doctor Conway dumbstruck behind them both. She went quickly, literally flying down the Watchtower's corridors in a race towards the transporter room.

For no matter how important it was to ensure the Martians made it through their first hour being alive once again, all Diana could think of was getting that task over and done with.

Bruce _had_ to have made it out of there alive, as she had.

After all that they had been through, after all they had survived, after all they still had left to live, he _had _to.

* * *

><p>With his super enhanced hearing, Superman had heard things start to go down from halfway across the city. Despite everything else that had been happening in that moment, despite seeing <em>all<em> that was associated with the energy cloud's final end, Superman had known that this thing wasn't over yet. Immediately he had known that he had to get over there, to try and stop things escalating just at the time when it had seemed the danger was done. He had only paused for long enough to make sure that Flash was going to follow him. He may well need the Speedster's assistance on this.

Even with his speed, by the time that Superman had arrived at the military base camp the light from that sole chunk of the cloud had already faded. The people who had been held within it were already visible. And the military soldiers had already got their weapons trained on them. More, they were already looking ready to use those weapons.

Almost as if they thought _these _were the aliens who had assaulted the planet all along, no matter how wrong that was.

Thanks to Batman's plan, _somehow _the Martian race had just been reborn. They _couldn't_ be allowed to lose those lives already.

The base camp had become a cacophony of noise. Every one of the soldiers was shouting, roaring at the Martians to stand down, to get their hands above their heads or to get on the deck, limbs spread. In turn, the Martians all just looked too scared and confused to act, perhaps even to understand.

Every member of the armed forces at the base camp was there, in position, guns at the ready. General Mulligan was even amongst them. All of the soldiers were encircling the Martians in a tight ring, making sure that they had no way out, especially as they would surely be too weak from the rebirth to fly. The aliens were certainly looking unsteady, only just able to stand. Having bodies again would likely take some getting used to. The horde of Martians, all in their native form, would not be able to do anything physically right now to protect themselves should Mulligan and his men get a little too trigger happy. Similarly, from how aggressive Mulligan and his army were looking, the Martians themselves were unlikely to talk him down. At the very least he would be taking them prisoner.

Unless Superman and the rest of the Justice League could intervene. That was why, flying in faster than a speeding bullet, Superman placed himself right between the one at the head of the Martian pack and General Mulligan himself. Only a second later, Flash was right in there too, albeit stood rather obviously with the impervious Superman between him and the majority of the bullets.

"General, please!" Superman bellowed out at the top of his lungs, trying to drown out all of the rest of the noise. At the same time, he was determined to sound calm. He couldn't sound fierce or aggressive in any way. He couldn't risk exacerbating the situation. Luckily, the first stage of his efforts seemed to work, even if there was no indication at all that it would be the start of a trend. The shouting died down in the instant that Superman and the Flash arrived, though the soldiers' weapons didn't drop alongside their yells. They were clearly just waiting for Mulligan to give the order, ready for _whatever _that order may be. They were all seemingly in it together, all of one mind, set on a course that Superman knew they couldn't take.

"Superman, you had damn well better have something good to say son, because you are standing _right_ in our way!" Mulligan roared back at him, sounding none too happy. He was staring at Superman the whole while down the barrel of his gun, even if such a weapon would be useless against the Kryptonian. It was clear that he meant business. "After refusing to do what was necessary once today, I'd think twice if I were you. The people of this planet will want _justice _for all that's happened here today! These aliens _have _to pay for what they did!"

"General, you must listen to me," Superman quickly began to plead with Mulligan, though now he was speaking at a far more personal volume, no longer having to shout over a barrage of sound to be heard. That was a good thing. Any kind of shouting _could _be deemed aggressive, just when they needed the exact opposite. "These are not the aliens who were controlling the energy cloud. These people were not the aggressors who attacked Metropolis. They aren't a threat. They're not our enemy. They were victims in all this, just like everyone else."

"_They _weren't the victims!" Mulligan thundered in return. He sounded practically irrational. He sounded like he might well not be prepared to listen to reason. Superman knew that he could stop this if things came to it, especially with Flash there with him. They could protect the Martians, and use the Watchtower's technology to get them safely out of General Mulligan's hands. The problem was what the fallout would be. Once before, during the Cadmus fiasco, they had seen just how tense things could get between the Justice League and the governments of the Earth. Acting so forcefully against the military forces of one of said governments would just create those tensions all over again, and after how close things had gotten before, that couldn't be risked happening again. If it could at all be avoided, that was. Superman was prepared to act if he had to. He just dearly hoped that he wouldn't have to. Peace, compassion and unity was by far the best solution for all. Unfortunately, General Mulligan seemed unlikely to realise that. The red mist had descended, the irrational fear of more danger arisen in him. "Don't try to deceive me, son. I know these aliens came from that _thing_. We all just saw them emerge from the last chunk of it. And when it comes down to it, no matter what, they _are _the villains here. Whether they controlled it or not, they allowed that cloud to attack us. They allowed the city to be hit, badly. They allowed the people in Metropolis to get hurt, and even allowed many to die. Now stand aside, Superman. These people need to face the justice of the people they threatened to destroy!"

"And what exactly does that mean?" Flash called out, though Superman wished he hadn't. They were words of passion, typically Wally, but they weren't the kind of words to help cool Mulligan off. Not at all. Mulligan's retort proved that.

"It means exactly what you think, lad! We're taking them into custody, and if they resist in any way, I am authorising my troops to use whatever force necessary to stop them. No more aliens or monsters are going to be hurting people on my watch! You see, unlike you _heroes_, I'm prepared to really do something about it. I'm not afraid of getting my hands dirty for the good of the people _I _serve! Now both of you, stand down! These aliens are coming with us, now, to a military detention facility until we decide what to do with them. If you stand against us, then I don't care how powerful you are. You'll have just made yourselves an enemy of the United States government. Choose your side. Us, or them. Either way, this ends now, and _they will pay._"

This was it. Things were coming completely to a head. The tension was so obvious, so intense that no one could possibly miss it. For Superman, he was simply having to fight to not get overwhelmed by it all. With his array of enhanced senses, it was even more obvious to him than it would be to everyone else. He could hear the heartbeats racing, in both human and Martian rhythms. In human and superhuman speeds too. Everyone was nervous, the Martians, the soldiers, _the Flash_. Everyone knew what was about to happen, and everyone was scared by the thought. But no-one was backing down, nor did they look like doing. In fact, many soldiers fingers were already locked on their triggers. The soldiers were hiding it well, but Superman could hear their hands shaking. The Martians weren't even hiding their own trembles. It was coming. The Martians couldn't be allowed to be taken away. Mulligan had already shown his feelings regarding them, regarding the peaceful approach. This was a man who had shown that he was more than willing to kill if it eliminated what he saw as a worse threat. Right now he saw the Martians as that threat. Even if his bosses ordered him otherwise, Superman was now sure that Mulligan would do what it took to stop the Martians being freed ever again. He would kill them sooner than set them loose, unless he could be talked down now. He _had _to be talked down now. Superman had to try one last time.

"General, please," he begged. If he thought that it would help he would have even dropped to his knees and clasped his hands before the man. He had to convince Mulligan. He had to say or do whatever it would take to get him to make his men stand down, to get him to let the Martians go free. He had to stop there being any more suffering. "Please. These people are not your enemies. _Please_. Don't do this."

Mulligan's answer was delivered quickly. Alas, it wasn't the one that anyone but he and his most loyal soldiers were going to want to hear. Superman could see that now. Even though all of the encircling troops would clearly obey, most were glancing at the General wishing not to here what they knew was coming.

"Last chance, Superman. _Stand down_. I won't say it again. You have three seconds to get out of our way. _They_ have five to surrender. Otherwise," he paused, only briefly, gesturing down to his pistol with his eyes, "there _will _be consequences."

This was it. This was _really_ it. Superman knew that in only seconds the bullets would be flying. He spared just a fraction of one of them to look over his shoulder at Flash. Even in just that fleeting glance, he could read a lot in the young man's eyes. He was prepared to act too. He too knew that there would be consequences, perhaps dire ones, but they couldn't abandon these Martians to death or an eternity rotting in a cell somewhere, particularly when they had only just escaped centuries of trauma. They had to be kept safe. Even if it was the supposed good guys that the Justice League would have to fight to ensure that. Because of all that, because of all that he knew was coming, Superman had to take a very deep breath. He had to ready himself. Above all else, though, it was because he couldn't believe that it had come to this. Nevertheless, his muscles tensed, ready to surge himself around the circle of petrified Martians, ready to take out every single gun and bullet that he could before any of them could be harmed.

And yet, he never took off. He never had to. Mulligan's mouth had opened ready to give the order, but that order never left him. The black gloved hand clamped tightly on his shoulder just in time, halting him before he could say anything. Quickly the General was looking over his shoulder to see who it was that had dared to touch him in such a way. Superman looked there too. In fact, everyone did. And every last one of them stared up into that cowled face, those menacing eyes, the embodiment of fear; Batman.

"Yes. There _would _be consequences," Batman growled. His voice was quiet, low, enough so that Superman had to utilise his enhanced hearing to pick up on it. Still, there was enough rage in there that the intent was clear. "I'd think again before giving that order if I were you. People don't like it when lightning strikes twice, _Carnicero del río._"

Batman was there. Superman had been so engrossed in the situation he hadn't noticed his friend arrive. He still hadn't really registered properly that Zatanna had walked over with him from where the magicians had set up their base camp. Heck, he had been so wrapped up in the tense situation he hadn't even been able to allow himself to worry about whether his friends had made it out of that energy cloud before it had died. He definitely hadn't had the chance to absorb what he had seen in the clouds final moments. But now Batman was very much here, and he had just delivered a few words which seemed to have rocked General Mulligan to his very core. Truth be told, Superman didn't have a clue what Batman had meant. It was clear that he was referencing _something_, no doubt from one of those many records Bruce kept on anyone with sufficient power, but Superman didn't know what that something was. However, he didn't have to know, certainly not right now.

Whatever Batman was really saying, it worked. In that second, every hint of aggression had faded from Mulligan. Instead, fear consumed him. In that second, he looked like he was maybe even more scared than he had made the Martians just moments ago. He suddenly looked so small, so timid. But more than all of that, he looked like he was beaten. He sounded it too.

"Everyone," Felix Mulligan muttered after many long moments of nervous silence. His voice was shaky, quiet, almost like he was struggling to speak. All the while he didn't take his eyes away from the unflinching glare Batman was giving him. All the while that fear looked more like deepening instead of fading. Mulligan paused again after just that one word, but eventually he managed to drag out a few more, addressing his entire field of soldiers. "Lower your weapons. Stand down. The aliens are free to go. Do it now."

The words had barely left Mulligan when he was retreating, backing out of there. He didn't run, but he definitely didn't dawdle. He was slinking away, not even waiting to see if his order was being obeyed. His action was clear. He was fleeing, pulling back to the sanctuary of his own command tent. As if to make sure that he would not be coming back, Batman had kept glaring at him until the moment the General went out of sight.

The soldiers of his army all looked confused. Apparently they were as unclear about what Batman had meant as Superman was, those who may have actually heard it anyway. The important thing was, though, while they were all looking around and at one another in search of answers, they had all lowered their weapons. With the League holding position, only moments later the soldiers followed their leader. They all backed away, albeit not with the same fear. They all left the Martians alone.

The Martians were going to live. The Martians were _free_.

That was the signal, the end. It was over. It was all finally over. The Imperium were defeated. The menacing cloud was gone, completely destroyed. So many of the innocents had been saved, rescued from vile clutches. The Justice League had made it through, perhaps shaken up but all of them alive. And the Martians were _safely_ reborn. They had done it. The day was saved.

After so much turmoil, after so many grim moments, it was saved. They had done it. They had actually gone and _done it._

The timing of all that was quite apt, really. In that exact second, there was a quick flash of light only a few paces to the right of where Superman, Batman and Wally stood. For the brief moment of that flash, Superman was scared. Too often already things had turned bad just when the situation seemed to be over. In that moment he was worried that it was about to be happening all over again, that that flash was an extra bit of the cloud coming back for the kill. However, when he saw what was actually happening, Superman knew that this was definitely _not _another danger.

"J'onn!"

It was one of the Martians behind Superman who had made the shout, sounding incredibly relieved to be able to do so. In fact, they all suddenly gave off that aura. Their collective fears seemed to have gone, replaced by that great relief. Indeed, the light had been from the Watchtower's teleporter, from the materialisation on the scene of both J'onn and Wonder Woman. Superman felt a great relief of his own to see more of his friends had survived the day intact. Both J'onn and Diana were immediately stepping forward, though J'onn far more so. Soon he was right there with Superman. This was clearly a big moment for him. He had spent years believing he was the last of his kind, centuries. Now, he wasn't alone. Superman could only guess how good that would feel.

"You made it!" J'onn expressed joy of his own. He had clearly been worried for his people. Perhaps they had told him all about the situation with the military via their unique forms of communication. Regardless, seeing them here, outside of the cloud, _alive, _was a much bigger event then telepathic talks. It seemed to be overwhelming J'onn completely. After that first outburst, he seemed to have become almost lost for words. Superman couldn't blame him. However, he did also realise that after the near miss with Mulligan, while this might be exactly the right time to break them apart, it may also not be the right place for such a reunion to occur. There was no point taking chances, not after how far they had come, how much they had had to face to get this far.

"J'onn," Superman stepped in before J'onn could fully embrace his people, causing both J'onn had the apparent leader of the Martian pack to look up at him. "J'onn, I think it'd be best if we move your people to the Watchtower for the time being. Metropolis has been through a lot. We need to let people get over the madness of today before we try and integrate both sets of peoples, to even the smallest of degrees. After what just happened down here, I think it'd definitely be for the best."

"It is likely for the best," that lead Martian spoke up before J'onn did, repeating Superman's sentiment. "At this moment, this planet, or at least this city, is not ready for us. That much is clear."

"Perhaps, you are right," J'onn was nodding in agreement. "I will make the arrangements with Mr. Terrific. But first, M'vall, all of my people, it is good to _truly _see you again."

Superman couldn't help but smile. With the soldiers having backed away, even if they didn't have long there was at least a moment for J'onn and his people to truly express their feelings at the rebirth of the Martian race. It appeared that they were going to take it.

However, Superman didn't watch that for long, despite it happening just over his shoulder. Something else had caught his attention, a moment clearly just as meaningful for a pair of his other friends.

It was only then that Superman could truly reflect on what he had seen up in the skies during the clouds final moments. He hadn't seen it coming, despite them both being his best friends. To say he was feeling surprised would be putting it lightly, but now it was all there before him. Now he couldn't _not _see it. The two were clearly trying to be subtle, but Superman could see it all there. The relief, the empathy, the _love_. While J'onn had been rushing to be with his people again, those two had clearly gone straight to each other. Right now, they weren't in the kind of passionate embrace that the cloud had shown them in. In fact, they were merely standing side by side, shoulder to shoulder, not even facing each other, a clear sign that they were trying to be subtle. But by the way they held each other's hand, the sentiment was clear.

"Yeah, Bats and Di, I didn't see it coming either."

Flash's comment broke Superman from his reverie. He hadn't realised that he had been staring until he forced himself to look back at the Scarlet Speedster stood right with him, also looking out at Batman and Wonder Woman. Just then the pair separated, apparently not yet ready to display their affection to the world and blissfully unaware that the cloud had already done that for them. Flash, though, was still smiling as they both watched Batman move to discuss something with Zatanna and Wonder Woman go to be with J'onn in his moment of joy.

"It never would have been you, you know," Flash went on, causing Superman to give him a look of even more surprise. "I mean, I know you're head over heels for that reporter, but there was always talk about _Superman and Wonder Woman _from certain folk. You can't have missed it. But the warrior princess fighting for peace would never pick the super powered, hope inspiring farmboy over the bad ass rogue with the secret heart of gold. Star Wars taught us that a long time ago. You know, even before Lucas tweaked it in Jedi and they were made siblings. Anyways, too bad, Supes. Too bad for all the rest of male kind. Looks like Batman wins this one."

Superman wasn't really listening to Flash's actual words, he was more hung up on what they were about, on the situation that had unfolded. Only unlike so many others that had happened today, this one was actually a happy one. He felt both pride and joy for his friends, for the act they had clearly taken with each other, even if he hadn't seen it coming. It would take some getting used to. Even as he looked across at the two of them now, Superman knew it might be a while before he would be able to truly think of them as a couple. But he also knew the real goodness in both of them. He truly _knew _both of them. And he knew that this might well work out brilliantly for them both, just so long as they let it. That made him smile too.

Despite everything, this day seemed to have found a happy ending after all.

"Come on, Flash," Superman instructed a moment later, changing the topic despite the smile the last one had caused remaining firmly in place. "Let's go help J'onn bring his people to sanctuary. Then we'll have plenty of pieces to pick up to help Metropolis start to rebuild."

"Have I ever mentioned my dislike for the clean up jobs?" Flash muttered at that. Superman only smiled broader. He had changed the subject, but Batman and Wonder Woman were still on his mind. He even looked up at them both again, despite them having moved apart. Seeing them both subtly glancing at one another still only made him think about them even more. Their feelings for each other were clearly deep. Superman couldn't believe that he hadn't noticed it before now. Maybe he really was just the big boy scout.

Bruce and Diana. It was a good thought. However, his smile was broadened more by what the thought lead too. The thought of them two coming together only pointed his mind to he and Lois. She had seen this coming hours ago. Perhaps she had seen other things too.

"The quicker its done, the quicker we can move onto other things," Superman told Flash with a shrug, those thoughts going ever deeper. Perhaps, after everything he had just seen, it was time to tell her... "Now that the day seems to finally be saved, I've got a feeling that when we're done here there will plenty of good times ahead. For all of us."

* * *

><p><strong><em>AN:_**

**_A bit of time off in the past week allowed me to crack on, so here you are. And so there we go. After almost thirty chapters of it, the action is done and the world is saved. Couldn't resist a lot of the symbolism and imaginary of the last few parts, be it J'onn getting the Martians back, Superman seeing J'onn get his people back, him seeing Bats and Wondy and liking it, the Star Wars comparison and particularly the whole image of the cloud changing its shape in that way. Ultimately, it was those sorts of images that made me do this story this way, of going for the "telepathically controlled, Imperium filled energy cloud as the villain" route in this sequel as opposed to anything more traditional or anything else entirely._**

**_So let me know what you though, both of this chapter and of the entire action run as a whole. Of course, don't worry, I've still plenty of wrapping up and character stuff to do for the last couple of chapters. I hate it when endings are just cut off and leave it there as soon as the action's over. Expect the ending of this story and hints at the future to come in the following weeks. In the meantime, I look forward to hearing from you._**

**_Which can, of course, include anyone volunteering for a spin-off still as discussed several chapters ago, perhaps in particular for the one idea I have which can be treated as a "back-door" pilot for a series of someone else's own, complete with versions of all characters in existence..._**


	33. Chapter 32: Brave New World

**Chapter 32: Brave New World**

_**One Week Later**_

Things were finally starting to get back to normal, even if events of that day would not be forgotten for a long, long time. The scars were still there, so was a lot of the pain, but the danger was gone. Completely. The energy cloud that had terrorised so many in such a relatively short amount of time was gone for good.

At first there had been plenty of doubt and worry, particularly from those without the more in depth knowledge, those who had merely been the speculators and the fearful. There had been plenty of paranoia, most of it senseless, that the cloud would return, an unfounded belief that it wasn't quite so utterly destroyed by the military's missile as it had appeared. The lingering panic over what that cloud had been doing, over what it had so nearly _done_, meant that it had taken time for everyone to accept that the cloud really wasn't coming back.

But that acceptance was now coming, the truth of the cloud's demise at last becoming accepted as what it was. And it was that acceptance that meant people could finally start moving on.

They had waited a few days before starting to rebuild Metropolis. Of course, they had had work to do first. First up, the relief crews had had to make sure that there was no one left trapped and alive in the remains of the ruined towers. Then there was plenty of rubble and wreckage to get out of the way before anything else could even be considered. At the same time, the planners and authorities had waited before even discussing what to reconstruct, deciding to ensure that before anything else went up the threat wouldn't return to tear it straight back down.

But now those plans were under way. The buildings were nowhere near reconstructed. That would take a long time, leaving the Metropolis skyline looking oddly devoid of much of its character. But it would be rebuilt, differently perhaps but the city would thrive on, both in the present and the future. By no small means, that was because its people were recovering too.

Aside from that initial paranoia, there weren't any obvious signs of lingering damage or after affects from the cloud's attack. People were starting to live their lives as normal again as much as they could, their beliefs and morality intact. It would have been understandable, albeit wrong, for the people to become xenophobic as a result of the attack, to become reclusive and to ensure they, as the one city to be assaulted, would be protected next time, even if it harmed others in their place. But none of that had happened, not on any kind of significant scale. No, instead the people had just all been too busy chipping in, working together as one community to heal their damaged city and fellow citizens.

Physically the people were recovering too. Unfortunately there were many who would never get the chance to, killed either by the damage to the city or outright by the energy of the cloud, but for the rest they were showing little to no signs of their ordeal. All the countless people who had been absorbed by the cloud and turned into living batteries, they were now up and about as if none of that had ever really happened. What cuts, scrapes and broken bones remained were purely a result of them falling when their minds had been temporarily pulled from their bodies, and those things were starting to heal. They had made it out of the cloud unscathed from being inside it, physically _and _mentally, and seemed truly thankful for it.

The one person who had retained the damage wrought to him by the Imperium assault was Snapper Carr, the TV journalist. He was the only one that the Imperium had harmed once captured, the only one that they hadn't immediately quashed to take advantage of the power of his brainwaves. It seemed the torture that they had inflicted on his projection within the cloud was carried over, his mind recreating the wounds on his body via sensations issued to his nerve clusters. Even he, though, was healing. He had already done so enough to be making major headlines.

Even wounded he was reporting, and he had one hell of a story to tell. Not only had he been the one to get so up close and personal to the cloud during the initial assault, but he was also the primary TV newscaster to have been swept up by the thing during the entire débâcle. With what the Imperium had done to him, he was in prime position to flood the airwaves with the tale of the cloud's assault on Metropolis and its people. In fact, it was near impossible at the minute to go a day without hearing one of his reports on it all. They were even already tipping him to sweep the board come awards season.

But Snapper Carr wasn't the only player in the journalism game that was reacting well to adversity. The entirety of the Daily Planet was having to do as well. Of all the shapes missing from the Metropolis skyline, it was the Daily Planet globe that was most obviously lacking. It would take a lot of time before it would be back there for the world to see, but that building had fallen before and come back strongly. It was just a shame that it had happened again so quickly. However, times of adversity are when the true strength of a character can be displayed, and the staff of the Daily Planet were showing plenty right now. They hadn't stopped working, not for a moment. With their own building gone, they had taken residence in a tower across the city. Already empty, it had been due for demolition to make way for a new development, but now wasn't the time to be knocking perfectly good structures down. It had taken only a small donation from some very wealthy benefactors for the Planet to acquire the building until they could have their own again. Once in, staff had been using whatever they could get their hands on, personal laptops, smartphones, voice recorders, anything with which they could tell a story. Then, with their printing presses down, everything would instead be loaded online. It was different to before, but it had to be. The plan was and would always be to get newspapers back on the stands again, but until that was possible they were embracing the modern age.

And they were doing so rather successfully too, in no small part due to a certain feisty reporter who was being touted for plenty of awards herself. Lois Lane had quickly returned to Metropolis once the cloud was gone. In fact, some people were even saying that her cab was pulling up before the cloud even crumbled, despite the physical impossibility of that. Regardless, she was back, and she was right back into the swing of things. It hadn't really been the cloud that she was writing about though, despite the fact that she too had seen plenty of it up close. No, it may have been a different medium but Snapper had that one all wrapped up. Besides, she had had a completely fresh story of her own that had just as much play to it, especially as she could tie it into the cloud's attack as well.

No one was entirely sure how she had come to learn of it, or how Batman had for that matter, but when Batman had confronted Mulligan after the cloud's end it had opened a personal Pandora's box for the General. Despite not many hearing it at the time, enough had done for the origins of the secret to come out, and it had been Lois Lane who had cottoned onto it enough to dig up the full truth. _Carnicero del río. _The butcher from the river. That was what Batman had called Mulligan, the words that had gotten the General so scared. It was a name from Mulligan's past, a name that had been given to _him_. Back when he was a younger man, Mulligan had been posted in South America as part of a covert team trying to smash the drug cartels that operated down there and plagued so many. One day, Mulligan had received intel of an undercover cartel operation masquerading as a normal village within the middle of the forest. It had just happened to be the day after Mulligan had lost one of his team in action in a harrowing, emotional way. He had decided not to risk that happening again. He had decided not to bother going in the old fashioned way, checking out the village in a surgical strike. He had decided to ignore the risk that the intel might be wrong, that it might be that not _everyone _in that village had been a part of the cartel. Instead, in the dead of night Mulligan had just got his men to unleash the full force at their disposal. Firing from range, they had turned the entire village into a blood bath from a dinghy on the river. They were in and out, leaving nothing behind, thinking they had a victory. Unfortunately, things took a turn for the worst after that. There had been survivors, workers who had been out of the village at the time of the attack, gathering much needed resources for their fellow residents. They had returned to find their entire families dead, torn apart by high calibre bullets. Their innocent, civilian families, with absolutely no ties to the cartels. _Young _families, women and children included. Rumours quickly began to spread. The villages in those parts were scarce, but in that case the news began to spread like wildfire through them. Eventually word had even reached the would-be General of a mysterious slaughter by the _Carnicero del rio_. He had quickly put the pieces together. He had quickly realised that he had made a terrible, terrible mistake. Knowing what the consequences would have been, and that they would all fall on him, he had buried the truth.

Until now. Mulligan had hidden things well, but somehow Lois had managed to dig it all up anyway. Now that she had it out there, there was no covering it up any more. No wonder Mulligan had been scared when Batman had confronted him with his nickname. With no way of burying the truth, the military would have no choice. With the public outcry they would face, Mulligan was certainly facing a court martial, and almost certainly criminal charges on top of that. In fact, with the way diplomatic relations could change over time, he might even be lucky not to face extradition. The survivors of the butcher would certainly be calling for an eye for an eye. Perhaps that was why Mulligan had turned himself in as soon as the military police had come calling, and why he was complying since. He was hoping that good behaviour would save enough of his neck to keep his head on his shoulders.

He was facing long overdue justice. As Lois' report stated, he was a man who had worked hard to protect the innocent ever since the major mistake in his past, but there was no overcoming what he had done. Especially when, at the cloud's end, he had almost repeated his mistake at the Martians' expense. No wonder certain people had ensured that the truth had come out. There were certainly plenty around who were very grateful for the incredible journalistic skills of Lois Lane.

However, neither Lois nor Snapper could touch the biggest selling story of the day. All across the globe, there were plenty of people around who loved a good bit of gossip, especially when it came to _interaction _between celebrities. When those celebrities were in fact both two of the world's most famous heroes, and the two who were most responsible for saving Metropolis, it had just added spice. Even a week later, the whole world was still talking about Batman and Wonder Woman.

It was an image that had been posted everywhere, the two of them locked in a passionate embrace, shown via the dying cloud. Everyone and their mothers had an opinion on it, even with its relative unimportance in the grand scheme of things. There was plenty of people looking at it thinking that it was wrong, that those two were just too different for what they had witnessed, but those were also the type of people who only looked at it through shallow eyes, who thought that dressing alike and sharing a level of power made for a perfect match. On the other hand, there were people who thought there was nothing in the world that made more sense. Either way, the point was that what had once been a secret from even the two heroes in question had just been shared with an entire world.

Of course, it wasn't entirely. The pair of them weren't ready for it. They still had far too much to work out between themselves before things could be taken to that sort of level, far too much desire for privacy. Their feelings were undeniable now, but that didn't mean they had to be entirely public. Besides, that kind of paparazzi lifestyle wasn't what either of them wanted, especially with things like the protection of a certain secret identity to take into account. That was why certain media allies of the Justice League had been more than ready to report that the kiss seen around the world was in fact only a side affect caused by the pair having to link minds in order to defeat the cloud and save the day. It didn't flat out refuse to say that the pair were in love, and neither was it a lie, but it was enough to mitigate the belief in the truth of the pairing nonetheless. However, while it had turned the love from a believed truth back into a mere idea, it still didn't stop the world from talking. Now that it was out there, nothing would.

And yet, despite the entire world currently talking about Batman and Wonder Woman, the two who really mattered were the two who weren't able to speak of it. Right now, virtually ever since they had both left Metropolis, they had been separated. It was a part of their recovery process. If truth be told, no one had been through more in the battle against the energy cloud than Wonder Woman and Batman. By merging their minds with both each other and the cloud's core, and by putting themselves through incredible strain to get the Martians out of there, they had risked their own utter ruin. It was truly remarkable that they had made it, and without any signs of significant mental scarring at that. There were plenty who were claiming that it was only because of divine intervention that they survived.

But survive they had, and now it was time for them both to recover. Blending their minds together had been a hard task for them to go through. The separation wasn't exactly easy either. As soon as the cloud was destroyed and its core was gone, there was nothing left to link them. They were two individual people again, with only the key elements of each others memories left behind. However, even though they had only been linked for a matter of minutes, now being apart was making them both feel so empty. It was making them both feel like a large piece of themselves was missing, a feeling that was worsened when the other was around. There was only one real cure to something like that; time. They needed time to get used to being alone in their own heads again, and for that they needed to be apart. It was never going to last for long. With all that they had been through, even Batman couldn't completely shut himself off now. But, for the time being, they were separate, until the time was right for them to be side by side again. They both ought to be resting, Wonder Woman on Themyscira and Batman in Gotham, but that was never really going to happen. At least they had accepted the need to recover. That way, they would be back one day, stronger than ever.

And, publicly known or not, they would do so _together_.

That was a very pleasing thought for J'onn J'onzz. Because of his telepathy, his empathy, J'onn had known about the pair of them for many years, before either of them had even known of their true feelings. He had never liked listening in to the inner monologues of his friends, but that was something he couldn't miss. Even more though, he had never liked to interfere if he could help it, prefering to let people develop on their own. He had had to play a waiting game, despite knowing how good things could be for his friends. To now be able to finally see the endgame about to finally unfold, it made J'onn truly happy.

And yet, it didn't scratch the surface of how happy he truly was ever since the Imperium's final defeat. The joy that he felt now was a kind that no-one else would have ever known. After centuries of being alone, the last of the once proud Martian race, he now had a people again. The Martian race was reborn. It's numbers were low, but they were now high enough for an entire species to find a way to survive. What was lost was now found. What he had dreamed of could now become a reality. The Martians were alive again.

They had grown stronger ever since those first moments in Metropolis. Currently staying aboard the Watchtower, they were getting plenty of chances to discover it all again in their new bodies. They were yet to know their new physical forms well enough to have the strength and power of J'onn, but they were getting there. More importantly though, they and the people of Earth were getting used them being here. With the situation around General Mulligan, the Martians big initial opponent, public opinion towards the aliens was in a healthy place. There were even murmurings that humanity may be ready to share the Earth, in peace and harmony with the Martian kind.

However, J'onn had a different idea. He had already discussed it with M'vall and the other Martians, and they were certainly keen on it. He had even discussed it with his human wife, and while she wasn't overly thrilled, she understood. That made the whole thing so much easier. J'onn had known that she would understand, but hearing her say it meant everything to him. It was a difficult call for him, but it was one he had to make. The fact that she had backed him made him glad he had her. He may have been happy that his species lived again, but he would never forget his human family. Yet this was just something that he had to do.

Which was why he had called this meeting with the other available Founders of the Justice League. He owed it to them to explain t all to them. They were his family too, after all. Seated in their usual places in the Founders meeting room, J'onn silently looked out at each of them in turn. Shayera Hol, Wally West, Clark Kent, John Stewart. Brave men and women all. He would miss them.

"Care to tell us what this is all about big guy? Big awkward silences are great and all, but they're not really my style." It was Flash who spoke up first. That was typically Wally. The fastest man alive, and perhaps also the most human. He had been showing that a lot in the last few days, with his extraordinary part in the relief efforts for Metropolis. He had also been showing plenty of his pride this last week. He wasn't vain, but the fact that _Batman _was crediting him with the plan that had saved the world gave him plenty to feel proud about. But right now, all he was feeling was impatience. J'onn had called this gathering, and yet he had spent the first few moments merely sitting there in silence. He had been working out how exactly he was going to break this to them. He took a few moments more, though, before he finally spoke.

"My friends," J'onn said, speaking slowly, softly. If all eyes weren't already on him, then they would be now. He paused again after just two words, albeit not for long this time. "I know there is a belief amongst you that the future of the reborn Martian race is here, on the Earth. Contrary to this, a decision has been made that M'vall shall lead all those saved from Transcendence home, to Mars. It is where they all belong, where they _need _to be. My people are reborn, but they are looking for more than that. There is now the chance to bring back our society, our _home_. My people intend to take it. They intend to go home. They shall be leaving in only a matter of days. And I shall be going with them."

The silence amongst the other four just got collectively all the more sombre, all the more confused. Jaws were dropping, comprehension striking. After everything, what J'onn had just told them must have made it all feel like a loss to them, that one of their own was gone. That was why, this time, J'onn didn't hesitate before speaking more. He owed his friends that.

"Do not worry, my friends. We shall see each other again. This will not be permanent. After centuries living in a Transcended form, it shall take my people time to acclimatise to truly living in the physical realm again, especially on Mars where they must fend for themselves. I must help them to do that. I lived there alone for years guarding over the incapacitated Imperium before that Earth rocket awoke them years ago. I can help give my people the guidance, the start that they shall need. And at the same time I can teach them of all that I have learned since coming to this planet, all that I have learned from you. I can teach them that in time they can truly ally with the Earth, but before that there is much work to be done. The Martian race must find its way again. And I must help my people to do that. But when I have, I shall return."

"But what about your wife, the friends you have here?" Shayera was quick to ask. After all that she and John had had to go through ever since the Thanagarian invasion, J'onn couldn't blame her for thinking along such lines. He had hardly forgotten them himself. "J'onn, you've got a life _here _too!"

"I will never forget that," J'onn answered her. "I shall not abandon it. When the time comes, I shall return to it all. My love for my wife is unquestionable, but thankfully she accepts that this is something that I must do. As for my friends, I shall make sure they all understand too, before I go. That includes Batman and Diana, wherever they may be by then."

"And the League?" John Stewart was the next to show some signs of reaction. Typically, he had his game head on, the head of a man experienced in both the marines and in the Green Lantern corps. "What if we need your help again?"

"In that eventuality, I shall return," J'onn kept him informed. "I shall ensure that you can contact me should you have to, and I am prepared to fight on should I have to. But I have faith in the rest of the League, in the rest of you. You coped well in my absence once before. I believe that you can do so again. I now have two homes, two peoples. I cannot protect both at once. Until they are strong enough to look after themselves, the Martians must be my priority. But Earth is now where _I _will ultimately belong."

"J'onn, I wish I knew how you were feeling right now," Superman spoke up, sounding exactly as his words would imply. "I've dreamed of getting to see Krypton, _truly _see it, to see my people. No matter how much I love the Earth and its people, no matter how much I feel I belong here, that will always be the case. So I understand, I do. Any arguments I can offer to your decision would be purely selfish ones. And so there's only one thing really that I can say. Good luck out there."

With that the big Kryptonian smiled, giving J'onn an accepting nod. It was almost like permission was granted, even if Superman would not have been thinking of it in those terms. However, to J'onn it was as important as his wife saying accepting this. It was entirely symbolic of all of his friends doing so, too. J'onn could see it from all of them. Even the more militaristic Green Lantern was doing.

But Flash summed it up the most. He didn't just sit there, smiling or nodding. In a way it was probably most apt that of these four it was he who was most reactive. After all, it had been he who had been right there with J'onn, inside the cloud when J'onn was reunited with his people. In the blink of an eye he was out of his chair and across the room, right at J'onn's side. Before J'onn knew it, Flash had hoisted him from his seat and thrown both arms tightly around him.

"You'll be missed, big guy," the Speedster muttered without breaking off. He really was the heart of the Justice League. J'onn didn't want to think about where they would be without him.

At long last Wally let J'onn go, but by then the others were up from their chairs and at his side too, either giving him hugs of their own or shaking his hand. It was an odd moment. They were saying goodbye, but it wasn't the end. J'onn _would _return. He just didn't know when it would be. He would stay with the Martians for as long as he had to, but he had too much here to leave it all behind for good. Yet, over the next few minutes it was unmistakeable that his friends were bidding him farewell, and he them.

J'onn knew that he would experience much in helping his people to rebuild their long destroyed society. It was an exciting prospect. But he also knew that he would be missing out on plenty too.

Yes, as the long goodbye went on, J'onn could say for sure that the coming months and years would be interesting to say the very least, both in the wider picture and the more personal one. For him, and for all of the Founders.

And he was certainly looking forward to living out his part of it. Looking at his friends, it seemed they were all feeling the same way.

* * *

><p>The group had spent a long time talking to J'onn after his announcement. Truth be told it wasn't entirely a surprise. With the Martians' return, it had been clear that J'onn had been facing a decision about what to do with himself. Now that he had made it, the rest of them were accepting of it. Still, they were making the most of what time they had left together. No matter how permanent it was going to be, their friend was leaving them, and leaving them quite soon. They had all wanted to spend as much of that time left with him, since it would be a while until they would get to do so again. Eventually though, people had had to leave. First, Superman had to return to Metropolis. Then J'onn had had to go and help get the Martians organised for their upcoming quest, Flash volunteering to go and help him. Shayera had been about to go and do so to, but John Stewart had other ideas.<p>

What J'onn was doing was inspiring to him, meaningful, but perhaps not in the most obvious of ways. No, GL was inspired by how quickly J'onn had made such an important decision. Even with it being for his reborn race, it couldn't have been easy for J'onn to decide to leave his new world and family behind, and yet he had made up his mind in only a matter of days, perhaps even far less time. It made the years it took GL to decide how to handle his feelings for Shayera and the future he had seen look pathetic in comparison. It made GL feel ashamed, and certainly apologetic.

It made him feel that he had plenty of lost time to make up for, and so he may as well begin now.

He had subtly latched onto Shayera's wrist with a gentle squeeze before she could leave the room with J'onn and Wally. That meant that the doors automatically sealed behind those two, leaving him alone in the meeting room with her. She was quickly looking up at him, as if telling him to get on with it. But the hurt that would have been behind that look just a week ago was no longer there. The love that had never left those eyes just burned stronger.

"Something you want, marine?" she asked, definite hints of flirtation in her voice. Things between them had certainly started to develop again in the past week. Ever since he had finally given in to his feelings, since he had finally given in and confessed his love for her, and ever since they no longer had work to distract them, things had been rather a whirlwind. They had had plenty of time to talk things through, and plenty of time for things that didn't involve much talking at all. Right now, Shayera was showing more thoughts regarding the latter. Right now, in this moment, GL was more interested on the former. Shayera clearly picked up on that quite quickly from the serious look that was adorned on his face.

"I don't know if you've noticed, but everything's changing round here," GL began to say. Immediately Shayera seemed able to tell that he was going to be taking the long way around what he was trying to say. However, she showed no signs of impatience as she may have normally done. That meant GL didn't have to worry any more about how to proceed. "The Martian race back around again, J'onn going off to Mars again. Batman and Wonder Woman and all that's revolving around them. Superman and his reporter seem on the brink of the next step. In fact, everybody's been changing in some ways these past few days, weeks, _months_. And they've been embracing it. I... I guess I'm just sorry that it took me so long to accept things myself. I just wanted to say sorry again for how long it took me to come back to you. I was being foolish, I was letting things get the better of me. I had all sorts of crazy notions going through my head and I just couldn't stop them. I was thinking one thing and then another and then another, and all of them stopped me from knowing what I really wanted! Something new was always coming up to get in the way just when I got a barrier cleared, or that barrier would suddenly get higher when I was in mid-jump. It was madness, for a long time, for _too_ long. I just could stop it, I couldn't–"

A finger suddenly appeared on his lips there, cutting him off while he was in full flow. Shayera was even shushing him too.

"Woah there, John. It's a nice rant but I don't need to hear it," Shayera was soon filling the void once GL had accepted that she was stopping his speech. It was now his turn to listen to her. "I'm not going to lie. Waiting for you to sort your blasted head out was infuriating. It made me want to take my mace and shove it someone where you'd need several colonoscopies to find it. So in that regard, you're right to be sorry."

If she had ended there, John would have known that he was in trouble. He might even have worried for his safety. He would have definitely felt even more guilty than he was already doing. But luckily Shayera didn't stop there. She had more to say, and, as the saying went, the best was yet to come.

"In this job though, I think I can safely say that I've learned that we need to move on. The past is the past, and we can't dwell there. We can't forget, but it can't be where we let our brains linger, or things will never get better. If I didn't live in the here and now, I would never be able to get over what I almost made happen, what I almost helped Hro to do. You ought to know me by now. That'll always have an influence on me. I'll always be trying to make it up to the people of Earth, but I couldn't dwell on the past when it was all happening. I had to focus on finding a new future, on finding my new place in the universe. Right now, we have a similar story. What's happened happened. I wasn't happy about it, you clearly aren't happy about it. But we've now got plenty of time to make it right."

She paused there, her smile turning all the more wicked. John knew what she was thinking before the words had even left her mouth. It made him smile too.

"And I expect you to be showing me just how sorry you are _every day _until I say otherwise. Starting right now."

Shayera wasn't the shy type. She didn't wait for John to react, nor for him to show her any sign that he was ready for such an action. She just took the lead. Grabbing him by the shoulders, she pulled him in close.

And she kissed him. A long, deep, passionate kiss, one which he returned with complete fervour.

Oh yes. GL knew that Shayera had certainly been right about at least one thing. In that moment, as that kiss felt like it had frozen time, he knew that they would have an entire age together to right all they had done wrong before. They had plenty of lost time to make up for, and GL was planning to start doing exactly that right away. He owed that to her.

He lived up to those thoughts as well. It was a good job that the Founders meeting room had a lock on the door. After what developed next, there could be no doubting that he and Shayera truly were together again. It had been a long, rocky road, but they had made it, in no small part thanks to the inspiration of seeing the others around them facing similar challenges. Two others in particular.

But made it they had, and now they had an entire future, an eternity together. And GL was damn well going to enjoy it.

* * *

><p><em><strong>Five Days Later<strong>_

J'onn and the other Martians had left earlier that day. There had been a big send off aboard the Watchtower before they had gone, flying away aboard some of the Justice League's own Javelin shuttles, fully loaded with whatever supplies they might need. Of course all those who had gathered for the event had been there to wish the Martians well, to look to the future which looked so bright where just a few days ago it was so bleak. However, none of them could really hide it. They were there to say goodbye to their long-time friend. J'onn may be coming back one day, but he would certainly be missed until that day came.

Superman hadn't missed a second of J'onn's goodbye, but he had left the Watchtower shortly afterwards. Things were quite different from the last time that he had teleported down to the skies above the city that he had made his own. The scaffolding was already going up, ready to repair and rebuild a city that refused to lie down and roll over. The people were back, and the city would be back to. There were some news reporters who claimed that it was the spirit of Superman, their local hero, that had inspired them into their remarkable strength in getting back to a normal life so quickly. Superman himself felt that that didn't do the people of the city enough credit, but it made him proud nonetheless. In fact, he felt more like it was the people of the city who were inspiring to him.

They weren't the only ones Superman would say that about from these past days either. In the days since the clouds attack, Superman had begun to hear the stories, to hear Flash and Shayera and GL talking about when they first saw the signs. He heard the stories of when the evidence had been right before his eyes and he had completely missed it. He had heard the stories in more depth of exactly how much the love the two had for each other helped them to save the world. Everything he heard made it make all the more sense and seem all the more obvious to him, even if he had yet to actually discuss it with either of his two best friends, what with them being away to recover from all they had put themselves through. On top of all of that, Superman couldn't help but think of how his own relationship compared, about his own relationship issues compared to the ones that they must have faced.

And yet Bruce and Diana seemed to have found a way to get there. Perhaps he could to. Perhaps it was time to finally tell her the truth.

The window was open when he arrived. He had called ahead to make sure she would be here and wasn't too busy tracking down the next part of her hard hitting story on General Mulligan and his problematic past. In opening up her home she was inviting him in. Superman didn't decline that invitation. In next to no time he was touching down right in the heart of Lois Lane's living room. Lois herself was in there too, sat waiting for him in an armchair. Typically, she had sheaths of notes sat there with her, though when she saw Superman arrive they were left forgotten as she stood up to move over to him.

"Superman," she greeted him, her voice relatively neutral but her action anything but. As soon as she was level with him she was reaching up on the balls of her feet to her full height in order to plant a quick kiss on his lips. "Not that I don't want to see you or anything but some of us do actually have work to do. What was so important? You seemed rather nervous when you called."

He had been, she was right. What he was about to tell her was something that he had been considering doing for a long time, but had always found some way to talk himself out of it. Primarily it was because of his fears of what it could mean for her, how it could affect her safety. But now... Now it was the right time.

"First of all I just wanted to thank you for helping us put the story out about Batman and Wonder Woman and the energy cloud," Superman began, using a message he could have delivered at any time as a lead in to what he was really here for. "Its not something that they'll be ready for the public to know of. Knowing them, its probably something they'd always want to keep more private."

"No problem," Lois quickly replied, cutting in before Superman could finish what he was trying to say. "The Justice League aren't the only people to count at least one of them as friends after all. But you didn't call me and then come down here just to say that, not on the day one of your other friends has left the planet. Come on you, what's going on?"

Superman sighed before starting again, but he couldn't help but carry on with the preamble. He had held this off for years. Even now that he had decided the time had come to say the words, he just couldn't do it quickly. "I've been thinking a lot since that day, when we saw their kiss from the cloud. I've been thinking a lot about how much effort it must have taken Bruce and Diana to get as far as they have. That made me start thinking about us, about all that we've been through, and about all that we've been holding back. It made me think that if they can take that kind of plunge for each other, then maybe so can we. I... Heck, Lois, I admit I don't know if I can actually say this. Going toe to toe with Darkseid seems like it'd be easier right now, but... Its time you knew the truth."

At that point Superman stopped talking. Even after all that he couldn't say the actual words themselves. Luckily he didn't have to. Luckily he could act instead. He had known full well that this might happen, and so he had prepared for it. Subtly, he drew them. He didn't have to tell Lois. As he put the glasses on and slicked back his hair, things spoke for themselves.

He had finally done it. After years of skirting it, he had finally showed Lois that Clark Kent and Superman were one and the same.

Since making up his mind to do this he hadn't known how Lois would react. All sorts of scenarios had actually played out in his head, some where she was angry with him for keeping it secret, some where she was overcome with joy. In none of those scenarios had he foreseen what actually happened. Lois laughed. He was stood there bearing all to her, and she was _laughing _at him. He was just about to ask her what was so funny when she suddenly slapped him around the face. It didn't hurt him of course, but he was certainly momentarily startled by it. When he looked back to her, though, there was still no anger in her face, only that confusing amusement.

"It's about bloody time," she said through a wicked grin, explaining herself. "Smallville, I've known for an age. I've been waiting for you to drum up the courage to say something!"

Superman was stunned, so stunned that he quickly whipped the glasses back off again. "How? How did you know?"

"Oh, come on, a top investigative journalist like me who spends every day with you in at least one of your get ups? I'd be blind _not _to see through that disguise," Lois quickly shrugged off his disbelief as if it was nothing. "Not to mention several other clues I get to see around you. I just can't believe it took me so long to figure it out! I mean, it wasn't until you started disappearing on long trips when your League got set up that I finally put the pieces together. But don't get me wrong. I'm not gloating. I'm glad that you _told _me it too."

She paused then, still smiling, albeit this time she didn't laugh at him or slap him. Instead, she reached up to her full height to kiss him once more. When she was done, Superman was still lost in that moment for long enough to allow Lois to get in the next words again.

"I think you earned that, _Super-Smallville_," she said. "But get going now, you. I've got that latest chapter of my story to finish. You _should _know how important deadlines are to Perry. That being said, I'll be leaving my window open. When I'm done, I'd hate to be all alone to wonder about what else you had to tell me. And to be left only _thinking _about what I ought to do to you."

She said that last part with a rather mischievous look about her. Superman took a moment due to his boy scout ways, but he soon cottoned on. When he did, it made him blush. Lois, typically, spotted that. It made her laugh again, slapping him in the chest.

"Go on, get going," she said through it. "I'm sure the world will need you somewhere anyway."

She had a point there, even if this was where Superman really wanted to be right now. He showed that acceptance via a slight nod of his head, along with turning away back towards the window. On his way over to it, though, Lois' desk caught his eye. He paused before he passed it. It was time for some more symbolism. Slowly, very deliberately, he placed the trademark glasses down on the desk. He knew Lois would understand. It was a way of telling her just how ready he now was to let her all the way in. As if to further the point, he turned back to the watching Lois once again, just before taking off and flying away, muttering only three simple words.

"See you soon."

And then he was gone, out into the air of the Metropolis skyline. However, for a long time it seemed that it didn't matter how far he flew, his mind just stayed in the room, with Lois. Or on all that had brought him to this point. It made him wonder why he had found it so hard to tell her the truth before. Now that he had, it seemed so much like the right thing to do. Like it was the only thing he _could_ reasonably do. He may have had his reasons before, but now they all seemed irrelevant. Once again, Superman found himself thankful for the coupling that he had completely missed building right under his nose. Bruce and Diana may be completely different to he and Lois, but they were still inspiring, invigorating. They were still an imagery of a better tomorrow, one which Superman now felt more like he and Lois were part of. Thinking of his friends now, though, Superman couldn't help but wonder. Last he had heard, they were still keeping themselves apart, isolated from each other and the Justice League in the respective homelands while they recovered. However, with all that he had learned, with how deep he now knew their feelings stretched, he doubted that either of them would be able to keep that up for too much longer.

"Superman, are you busy?" Mr. Terrific's voice suddenly fizzed over his comm, waking Superman back up from his thoughts to the world around him. "We have a situation forming out in Africa. The team already on the ground could do with some Kryptonian backup."

Superman was quick to respond. It was time to get his game head back on. No matter how much things changed personally for him or his team-mates, one thing would always stay the same. They were all heroes, through and through.

"Superman here, T. I'm on my way."

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN:**_

_**There we go. That's five of our leading seven's part of the story all wrapped up. Of course, there are then two more who are notable in their absence. Bet you can't guess what's coming next...**_

_**In the meantime, please send in any reviews and comments that you may have about the guys and girls showcased this time, as while Bats and Wondy are of course the stars, I wanted all seven to get their moment in the sun in this tale. **_

_**And of course, look out for the final chapter and then the epilogue that are still to come. See thee later!**_


	34. Chapter 33: The More Things Change

**Chapter 33: The More Things Change...**

"What are doin' here, man? 'Dis ain't safe. 'Dis sort of stuff's never safe 'round these parts. 'Da Bat's watchin' us. He's always watchin' this sort of stuff! I like my kneecaps how they are, man! We shouldn't be doin' this!"

"Relax, would ya? What did I tell you a week ago when we started on this? Have you _still _not watched the news? The Bat's still shook up from what he was going through with that cloud thing. Even if he is out on the streets again, he won't be firing on full cylinders. He won't know a thing about this. No one does. Relax, buddy. We're in the clear!"

"I don't know man, I don't know. What 'bout the young Bat Brats? Or da cops? Look, I know we done the leg work already to get 'dis far, but there's no goin' back from 'dis. We get caught doin' this, an' we don't shower without rear-view mirrors for years!"

"How many times do I have to tell you to relax? None of them have _any reason _to be looking for us, and no reason to be snooping around here either! We're not exactly high up on any known food chain, and as for this place, have you forgotten how much work it took for _us _to track it down, even with knowing that it was out here some place? Ryzhkov and the others kept quiet about it all for months! There's no way that they'll have blabbed now. The Russian mafia took great steps to keep their bonus stash hidden. Its a good job for us that _I _pay attention to these things! You'd have never remembered that little throwaway comment that mobster made when we made them that delivery way back. But we've found it now. After all that hunting, we've found it. Man, the hard part's over! No one's gonna stop us now. We take the stash, we get it away from here, and then we make ourselves an absolute fortune! Ain't nobody going to stand in our way, 'cause none of 'em know that this is here or that _we _know about this. The cops, the mob, the _Bat_. None of 'em. Now grow a pair, and let's get that door open. I want to check out the goods."

"All right, man. If you're sure..."

The second goon still didn't sound convinced as he stepped forwards. The two had lingered on the street corner., underneath a broken street lamp, taking shelter in the dark while they debated following through with their plan. Now that debate was over. Now they were acting on it.

They crossed the street, clearly heading for a rack of self storage bays that stood over there that had largely fallen into disrepair. This wasn't a part of the city that was regularly in use, even by the criminals and the corrupt. It was just a near empty slum, making it nigh on perfect for the Russian Mafia to turn into a hidden stash for the drugs they had been trying to unleash into Gotham. For a while they paused again when they were faced with all of those bays garage-like doors. One of them literally started counting off bays on his fingers, part of him making sure that he got the right one. Eventually, though, he was settled.

"It's this one," he said to his ally. "Break out the bolt cutters. Let's get in there, see what we got. Then I'll call in the truck so we can start loading."

"Right," the other one grunted, doing as he was told. He had the bolt cutters in hand all along, lifting them up and getting to work. The mobsters had fairly hidden their stash in plain sight. With the area so bland even the criminals kept away, it was only secured by an old fashioned padlock so as not to attract attention. However, it had attention now, and that padlock wasn't much. It was soon removed. The door to the storage bunker was soon rolling open, revealing what laid beyond.

It was exactly what they had been expecting and more. Tonnes of the drugs, stacked from top to bottom. Enough to do some serious harm to the innocent and the easily manipulated. Enough to make the pair of criminals ecstatic. The first one, the brains of the operation, slapped his fellow in the arm as both of their eyes lit up.

"We made it man, we made it! Welcome to el Dorado man! We've flipping made it!"

"And 'dere ain't no Bat to be seen. Heh he! Call 'dat truck in! Let's get all of this loaded up! Let's get 'dis all out of here. And then let's laugh at the Bat all 'da way to 'da bank! You were right, man. He ain't nowhere to be seen. Heh, I knew he wasn't as all powerful as the legends say!"

"Think again, boys."

He growled it out, using his full fearsomeness in every syllable. He had been watching it all unfold from the shadows, not nearly as absent and fragile as they believed. The criminals' efforts to track the drugs stash down wasn't as successfully secretive as they had thought it was. He had been tracking them all night, just waiting for them to reach the stash. Catching them with the contraband meant more than just catching them. It meant they would get a custodial sentence more like what they deserved, and that was what he was here to bring about.

For Batman was there to deliver justice.

The criminals didn't see him until he was right on top of them. He leapt out of the darkness from up above them, cape billowing around him to make him look three times his actual size. At least one of the two men, though, never really had the chance to see that. Batman hit him hard, hands slamming into the criminals shoulders, knocking him down to the concrete below. With a crack, his head struck it, not hard enough to do anything fatal, but hard enough to take him completely out of play.

The other one, the stupid one, didn't last much longer. His reactions were nothing to write home about. In a fluid motion he rolled over the body of the unconscious man and back to his feet. With great speed for a man without any powers, his hands were being rammed into pressure points, one in his side and one up in his neck. The guy looked like he was instantly going down after that, but, especially considering what he had been planning to do, that wasn't enough for Batman. Using pure brute force, he hurled his fist against the villain's jaw. Teeth were sent flying, hitting the pavement only a fraction before the rest of the second unconscious foe.

But Batman would be wrong to think that that meant it was done. The bang was ripping through the air from practically the instant he had made himself visible, coming as the shotgun as fired. The two criminals were not alone in their villainy there that night. They had practically said as much. Now the truck driver was making his presence known, and he was fighting back.

Luckily Batman knew that would happen. He had watched the foes arrive. He had known all along that there were three of them. That was why he had attacked as he had. The speed of it, the movement involved and the truck driver's weapon of choice all meant that by the time he had pulled the trigger, Batman was already moving from the spot where he had landed. He didn't wait around to let the driver take another shot at it either.

The driver was stood out in the street, over by that broken street light where the other two had huddled earlier. Batman had kept tabs on him throughout. That was why he never stopped moving, never stopped acting. The second crook was only just dealt with when Batman was pulling the grapnel from his belt. He didn't hesitate before firing it.

The cable latched on, right on target. It curled around the truck driver's knees, tight. One hard yank was then all it took. The truck driver was sent flying backwards, unable to keep his feet. Even though he did fire again, it was irrelevant. This time the shot was sent harmlessly skywards.

The driver cracked the ground hard just like his fellow before him, but this one stayed conscious. He was soon scrambling, trying to fight on. He had dropped his gun when he fell, but he was desperate to get it back. His fingers were stretching desperately. They were soon able to grasp onto the barrel–

"Wrong move, _man_," Batman growled again. He wasn't showing the signs of it, but he had had to act quickly to cross the street in time. Now his boot was resting heavily on the shotgun, preventing the truck driver from utilising the weapon once more. The next second he was dropping his body fast, slamming his knee into the drivers temple. Once again, he made sure it was nothing lethal, but the foe wouldn't be causing any sort of problem any time soon.

The crooks were down. They were all taken care of. Initially, at least. Now was the time for the authorities to do their part. Batman was activating his comm even as he was getting to work tying the three guys up right there with the stash of drugs they had been after. They had thought it would be their fortune. Instead it had been their undoing.

"Alfred," Batman grunted into the now open comm line to the Batcave while securing the rope binding the three crooks together _very _securely. "Send the message to Gordon. The scavengers are apprehended, with enough evidence here to put them away for a long time, and make sure the rest of the Russian mobsters aren't getting loosed any time soon either."

"Very well, Sir," Alfred's voice returned instantly in Batman's inbuilt cowl earpiece. The butler had been listening on from the cave all night, just as he had been every night since the incident with the cloud. Batman had insisted on getting back to work in Gotham near instantly, despite Alfred's protestations that he was there to recover from his ordeal. Alfred was worried about him, Batman knew that, but he had a job to do, a job that he knew he was well enough to handle. Still, Alfred had insisted on keeping an eye on him at all times, just in case. "The Commissioner will have the message now. No doubt he and his officers will be there shortly. I do hope, though, that you haven't forgotten the other appointment you had planned for tonight?"

"No, Alfred, I hadn't forgotten," Batman confirmed to the closest thing he had had to a father for so many years. He finished locking the three criminals down as he did so. Just as planned, all three were still out of it, and would be staying that way. But just to be sure that no one else wandered past and saw what they had been after, Batman pushed the storage bay door too as he straightened back to his full height. Alfred's message to Gordon would inform him that it was there, but it wouldn't do to let some kid stumble upon that lot. Not when Batman knew he couldn't stay long enough to keep guard.

"I'm glad," Alfred replied, sounding it. He knew what Batman was doing tonight, beyond his usual quest for justice. In fact, Alfred had actively encouraged it. He had been encouraging such acts for years, hoping to save some of Bruce Wayne's humanity from the dark of Batman. The fact that this time Bruce had done all the work himself, had actively sought it, had only made the old butler proud. "You better get moving though. The Batcomputer is picking up the presence of a metahuman entering the city, from the air, coming from across the ocean."

"Understood, Alfred," Batman responded, keeping his voice stoic, though he knew that Alfred would easily pick through that. No one knew him better than Alfred. No one probably ever would, no matter how much he let them in now. "I'm on my way."

"Good luck, Sir," Alfred said at that. He was sounding happy as well as proud now. "I'll give the two of you some privacy. I shall see you when you get back, Master Bruce."

"_Goodnight_, Alfred," Batman said back, doing so with a smirk of his own. The comm clicked off after that. Batman hoped that Alfred would take the hint and go rest, but he knew that the butler was bound to sit up to wait for him to get home, just as he had done every night for the past two weeks or so. Still, Batman hadn't the time to think any more about it. Alfred was right. Batman's link to the computer in the cave was showing him the presence of the meta over Gotham. He had to go and intercept that person.

Pointing upwards into the sky, Batman launched his grapnel. In the next second the high tensile rope was dragging him up into the darkness of the night, and to what awaited him across the city. With no one around to listen in on his thoughts he wasn't afraid to admit it.

He had been looking forward to this for days.

* * *

><p>Even if she wasn't affected by the temperature, Wonder Woman could feel the brisk air whipping around her as she flew over the ocean. She had been flying for a while now. It had been nice to see her people again, her mother included, but now was definitely the time for her to return home.<p>

_Home_. That was the first time she had ever thought that word without it being in reference to Themyscira. She would always be an Amazon, loyal to her kind, but that one single word was perfect symbolism of how times could change. It was only a few years since she thought very little of Man's World. Now she was feeling like it was a place where she could truly belong. It was all a product of spending time out in the wider world, of learning the goodness of Man's World that the Amazon's had been cut off from for too long. It was all a product of time. Over the last few years, all that she had been through, all the people she had met and all the experiences she had had had changed her, hopefully for the better. And she had enjoyed that time thoroughly, finding her true place in the world.

A place she was looking forward to remaining in for a long time to come. Meaning this place truly was her home now.

But Themyscira would never be forgotten. Her feelings towards that paradise would never lessen, no matter how much her feelings for this one would grow. That was why she had immediately decided to return there when it became clear that she would be taking time away from the Justice League, to allow her mind to recover from the efforts within the cloud.

Her mother had certainly been glad to see her, as had her fellows. Her time in exile from the island was long since forgotten. It had truly been paradise again for those days, or at least it would have been if Diana had been able to forget her life beyond the island. The purpose of her being there was to rest, to avoid thinking of all that could remind her of the cloud and what happened in there. Yet not for one second did she manage to do that. Her compassion wouldn't allow it. She couldn't just switch off and pretend like none of it had happened, especially when so many people had been hurt during those events.

And of course, there was a certain other issue on her mind that stopped her pulling her thoughts away. Hippolyta had picked up on the near absence of Diana's mind over many of their days together. She had questioned her about it, but thankfully not to a pressing degree. Diana still wasn't ready to reveal all, not even to her mother. It wasn't because she was worried about how her mother or the other Amazon's would react. Diana knew that she was doing nothing wrong, and she trusted the Amazon's to accept her decisions. However, she also knew she had to do the honourable thing first. Despite all that was said before, there was still much to be discussed with him before the message could be spread any further.

Still, those days on Themyscira had been happy ones. Even hearing that J'onn would be going away for a while couldn't selfishly sadden her. Even being away from the League like she was, she had still heard the stories of what was happening. She had heard all of the good news about John and Shayera, of the rebuilding in Metropolis and of the justice facing Felix Mulligan. And she had received another message on top of that, a message from Bruce.

"_I think we've healed for long enough."_

It had been simplistic, but she had filled in the pieces for herself without any problems. She knew him well enough by now to pick up on all of that. It was Bruce's way of saying that he was done recovering, that as far as he was concerned their time apart need not be extended. It was his way of saying that it was time for the two of them to finally talk through all the issues they still had to settle between them. It was Bruce's way of saying that it might finally be time for the two of them to get that shot at a _proper _life together.

And it had been his way of inviting her into Gotham to do all of those things. Bruce was a man of respect, but if he had felt the need justified it he would have come to her on Themyscira. At the very least his message would have organised a neutral venue, or told her a time to find him in the cave. Instead, Diana was convinced he was openly letting her into his city, the place that was entirely his jurisdiction, via his absence of any other description of where they should meet. She doubted very much that she would be there to help him in his crusade, but the simple fact he seemed to be so willingly letting her loose in his city, for a time at least, was encouraging. It alone made Diana smile.

By now, she was almost there. Once that message had come through she hadn't waited around, not longer than it took to say farewell to her mother and the rest anyway. Flying over the mighty oceans using her gods given gifts, she was now close enough to see the lights of Gotham against the backdrop of the black night sky. That said only one thing to her; Batman would be in action.

Seeing those lights only inspired Wonder Woman to fly even faster. In next to no time she was over the city. In even less, she was touching down atop one of its many towers. She didn't know which one, nor did she know where Bruce would be. He hadn't given her that much detail, or any really, but Wonder Woman had absolutely no doubt that he would find her. She just had to wait for him to show up. However, despite keeping both eyes open from an exceptional vantage point, despite knowing it would happen, she still didn't actually see him coming.

"Princess."

The voice, typically, sounded from behind her, nearly causing her to jump out of her skin. Hera, how _did_ he do that? Wonder Woman quickly spun to face him, though, forcing her regal composure back into place as, for the first time in days, they were reunited. He was stood there, at his full height, in his full cape, cowl and armour, looking every bit of the Batman that he wanted the criminals to see. And yet, beneath all of that, Wonder Woman could definitely see more. She could definitely see that, for once and almost certainly under a very conscious effort, he wasn't keeping his true self entirely buried. Not from her. As if to prove it, he added a few extra words.

"I'm glad you came."

Wonder Woman couldn't help herself. Amazon warrior or no, it had been a long couple of weeks, and she was _definitely _glad to see him again. The distance between them now was short, but she was still hurling herself across it as if it were great. Before he knew it, she had her arms wrapped around him, catching him in a very meaningful hug. As she did so, she too said a very simple statement that expressed so much more.

"So am I."

* * *

><p>They were together again. Both had known that they needed to be apart immediately after the cloud, to be used to having separate minds again and to recover from the strains they had been put under, but that was never going to last forever. It had been nowhere near as long as it had been during his self imposed exile, and yet this time the reunion felt far more poignant. Last time, he had returned for business, because he still had his job to do. This time, it was all about <em>them<em>. Just seeing her again almost brought a great light to his darkness. Her rushing over and wrapping him up in her embrace definitely did.

Batman returned that embrace as soon as he could, but he was at first uncharacteristically frozen with joy. Her smell was filling his nostrils as well as her sight filling his eyes. His senses had never been as treated as they were in that moment. Even in the more sentimental moments, during the cloud attack he had never had the chance to enjoy her like he had now. He was determined to enjoy it. Hopefully she was feeling the same. However, despite everything, despite how he had found a way to let her in to his caged existence, he was still Batman. He still had his caution to get around before this moment could be enjoyed to its fullest. He still had to check before he could say what he really wanted to. Releasing her from his hold, she cottoned on and let go herself, gazing up into his shrouded eyes.

"Something on your mind, Batman?" she asked before he could say anything, clearly picking up on his thoughtfulness as well as making a light-hearted reference to recent events. The smile on her face never wavered, the wondrous, _beautiful _smile.

"I was going to ask if you were all right," Batman replied, gazing deep into her ocean blue eyes. He couldn't actually read her thoughts any more, but he could still try to get a read on her. "We went through a lot up there. I wanted to make sure that it hadn't done any lasting damage, that there weren't any side effects from it all. Especially mental ones."

Wonder Woman actually smiled a little broader, though she did hesitate for a second. She was clearly having to fight off saying his birth name. She would know that he wouldn't approve, not here, out in the open of Gotham, even if they were alone up on the rooftop. "_Batman_, you should know the answer to those questions better than me, oh mere mortal. It should be me asking you the question. But since I know you're going to insist, I'm fine. It was strange at first, empty even, and I felt drained for days, but the rest worked. Physically, mentally, I feel like none of this ever happened, health wise. I hope the same goes for you?"

Batman nodded. "I'm getting used to it again. It's amazing how easy it is to forget how a simple thing like having your thoughts to yourself can feel."

"Tell me about it," Wonder Woman returned. "It's not everyday you have full access to the Batman's brain. And it wasn't a bad place to be, despite what you tell people."

"Then you are perfect," Batman couldn't help but say. "Otherwise you wouldn't be able to say that."

Wonder Woman smiled again, though at Batman's comment a trace of sadness did cross her eyes. "I can't deny that plenty of your memories were..._difficult _to see. There was plenty in there which saddens me greatly. But I regret sharing none of it. I accept that you don't want me to lose myself to them, but some of them are going to stay with me, and I'm glad of that, no matter how sad those memories can be. After all, they make me feel that much closer to you."

"I was right, you are perfect," Batman repeated himself, gazing ever deeper into those fabulous eyes. "No one would be able to handle those things like you. I certainly wouldn't if our pasts were reversed. Thankfully I don't have to. I remember some of your memories too, Diana. I remember the paradise you grew up in, the image you see and wish to spread throughout our world. I remember the true goodness I got to see throughout your past, even deeper than what the world can see. It is..._inspiring._ Truly. It's been inspiring me even more to fight to clean up this city, giving me hope every single day since we left the cloud of what it may one day become. _You _have been inspiring me every day. Just like you have been doing since the day I met you."

It was Wonder Woman's turn to gaze deeply into him then. "You really mean that don't you? Oh, don't answer, I know that you do. Its very flattering. Your dedication to the crusade for justice is inspiring too, as is the size of your heart for a man who by all rights should have none. For you to say those things... I'm very honoured. And its a very good sign for our future."

_Their _future. Ever since that night in the Batcave eight months ago, they had both established that they were going to give a life together a go. Hearing her actually say the words meant more than just thinking them though. They were so meaningful that they overwhelmed the gladness Diana's other words ought to have brought with an even greater amount.

And yet, at the same time, those two words raised so many other thoughts. It was time. It was finally time to ask all the questions and solve the issues that still hung between them. It was time to get those things out of the way, to enable them both to then live _their _future. There was so much more that he would rather do first, but right his brain was well trained to rule his passions. After all, there was no time like the present.

"Diana, before we go any further, we need to talk," Batman told her, keeping things serious. "It'd be too easy to simply allow our hearts to run away with us, but there's more to both of us than that. We need to sort out the last few details to make sure we can actually make this work. We need to figure out how we're going to do this, and how its going to affect everything else."

"I don't see why it should change anything," Wonder Woman was quick to reply, practically shrugging it away. "We both have our own missions, our own priorities as Wonder Woman and Batman. I don't, and will _never_ expect you to abandon Gotham, nor will I try to make you change your way of saving it, even if it isn't my own. At the same time, I won't stop being the champion of the Amazons and an envoy of peace to the world. But we don't have to forget those to embrace our base instincts too, our passions. There's no reason why we have to lose what makes us who we both are to make this work. I think we're both stronger than that."

Batman certainly agreed there, but there was something else that was more on his mind. "And the League? Relationships amongst the team has caused _issues _in the past, Princess. Dare we risk it happening again?"

"Yes, Batman, we do," Diana again quickly jumped in, sounding slightly forceful. Immediately Batman could tell that she was seeing practically right through him, even with the link between them long gone. "The world needs us both, still. The League needs us both. I'm not leaving it. Don't you go thinking of abandoning us again, either. You've just put yourself through months of training to _make _it work. And I can assure you that the past won't repeat itself with us. The Amazon's are _not _preparing for a full scale invasion of Man's World. Besides, John and Shayera seem to have worked things out all right in the end. No, it shouldn't have to change anything regarding the Justice League either."

She was right, of course. She so often was. Damn, there was no one else out there who could make him change his mind like she could, no one else out there who could make him see sense like she could. The thought had indeed struck him that it might be best for him to step back from the Justice League and focus entirely on Gotham instead, but after just one short speech from Diana that thought was already sounding ridiculous and paranoid. Nothing would have to change unless they forced things to, not on that front anyway. Just so long as outside forces didn't try to enforce that change.

"We'll have to be careful, though," Batman told her, his change of subject no doubt confirming to Diana his concurrence with what she had just said. She knew that he wasn't a man of excessive words, after all. "After what happened in the cloud's final moments, people are already talking. They may not believe it any more, but they're talking. With Lois' help we may have dodged the worst of it this time, but that's not the kind of attention either of us want."

Diana actually let out a small laugh at that. "If anyone knew who you were under that cowl they'd understand how odd that sounds. But I know what you mean. It's a good job I'm not here looking for overly public displays of affection. I just need you to be you, and to be with you. Other than that we can be as subtle as we have to be."

Batman didn't have to mention that it wasn't just the attention of the general public that he had been thinking about, but also that of their respective enemies. No doubt if any of them learnt what was truly developing between Batman and Wonder Woman they might start getting ideas, plans for villainy against them both. That wasn't something that either of them should encourage, even if they could handle it. However, once again an issue had been dealt with before it needed to be raised thanks to Diana's words. Two birds, one stone. Instead, it was time for the next one to be faced.

"In that case, we just need to sort out that face of yours."

"Excuse me?" Up until then she had been all smiles. After his last sentence, a fire had come to Wonder Woman's façade. Why was obvious. It was because Batman had baited her. He took note of her reaction. Repeats may be _fun_.

"The whole world knows _Wonder Woman_, Diana," he explained, allowing the grin to creep onto his face as apprehension dawned on hers. "Practically everyone out there knows your face. No design of glasses can hide it entirely. Now that you're mine, I don't intend on keeping you cooped up in the manor or the cave when we're not on duty. I plan on showing you the world, in all of its splendour. But with the end of the cloud already putting the idea of Batman and Wonder Woman in people's minds, I can't exactly do that without putting my identity at risk. And I'd rather not have to make you wear a paper bag on your head through it all. That sight's far too lovely to hide."

The smile was definitely back on Wonder Woman's face, a rather cheeky look to it as she mulled over what he was saying. "Oh don't worry, Batman, _now that you're mine _too, I don't intend on letting anyone find out your secrets until you're ready to tell them. Besides, Kal must have _some _trick to pulling off such a simple disguise. You don't have to show me the world, I've seen plenty of it for myself, but I can always ask him for some pointers. We'll find a way to pull this off outside of our costumes, don't worry about that. But for now, let's just take things one day at a time. Play your cards right and we'll have plenty of them to come to figure things out properly. This is new to both of us after all. No doubt this road won't be as smooth as either of us would like, but we can't pre-empt everything. There's no point trying to second guess it all. Let's just enjoy the ride, for a long, _long _time."

A moment ago she had killed two birds with one stone. Well this latest stone had taken out an entire flock. Batman knew that he could well have wound up trying to sort everything out right here and now. It was just in his nature to try and figure all problems out straight away, before allowing any time for himself. It was the way of the Batman. He had all sorts of things lined up to question her on next, chief among them to try and decide how to handle the fact that he was only a mortal, whereas she would last forever. However, Wonder Woman had shown him another way once again, as only she could. _One day at a time_. Yes, that would be better. That way all options were left open to them both, and all other avenues could be explored as they were lived. All _wonderful _options...

If not a couple of weeks ago, then certainly eight months ago his mind wouldn't be able to think like it was doing then. The thoughts were far too happy. It was just another sign of the effect that Wonder Woman was having on him, even if it wasn't an effect anyone but her was truly getting to see. For they were thoughts of pure joy that began racing through Batman's head in that moment. Dreams, even, of all sorts of possible futures, of all that may be. In every one of them, Diana was right there with him, right to the end. Sometimes they were married, sometimes they didn't even need to make that step. Sometimes they weren't alone either. In some of those thoughts, they had a whole family there with them. But regardless, with Diana there with him, all of them were happy. Batman knew they were all just dreams, that with the dangers they faced everyday the happiness of them could so easily be tainted in darkness. But for now, for once, for this moment, Batman was happy to stand in the light.

But he couldn't do so forever. The real world didn't stop to allow him his moment, and he had to get back to it. Especially as Wonder Woman's statement wasn't quite all encompassing. She still had one issue to raise herself.

"There's just one thing though, Batman, one last thing that can't wait," she said, after having paused for a moment to both let him absorb what she had said before and to also pick her own words. This was clearly important for her. It was therefore important for him. "We have to tell my mother. I know she might find it difficult to hear given the past of Themyscira, but I can't keep this from her any longer than I have done already. The thing is, when I do–"

"Say no more, Princess," Batman cut her off. He knew that this would happen one day, and he had just had a long eight month stretch to plan for it. He was well prepared. "J'onn's entries to the Watchtower cultural database weren't the only ones that I've been reading recently. I've been catching up on my Amazon traditions and customs too. Whether she comes to me or I am invited to the island, I'm prepared to face whatever she brings to bear my way."

Wonder Woman looked even happier when she heard those words, especially due to how much Batman meant them. "Be careful when you say that. No doubt Mother will have serious initial apprehensions about allowing any man get this close to me. I'm sure she will respect my choice, even if she's not happy about it, but she won't make life easy for you, certainly not at first. She still hasn't forgiven men for their crimes throughout the years, not even really in any individual cases, even if here are signs that that is starting to change. She'll want to make sure that you're trustworthy, respectful, honourable. _Worthy_."

"And am I, Princess?" Batman couldn't resist probing for her answer there. He knew he could handle whatever the Queen of the Amazon's could throw at him. He knew that he could pass any test, even if he didn't have Diana to inspire him to. With her there it would be no problem at all. Still, he wanted to hear her say it. After all, he had asked himself the same question often enough over the years. "If you were the one making judgement, _am_ I worthy?"

Wonder Woman didn't answer straight away. Instead she spent a long moment just staring at him, unmoved. The moment after that, she closed right up to him again, so that their faces were practically touching. Batman could feel her breath on his cheeks. It took all his discipline not to melt straight into her, to hold his ground and wait for her full reaction. It was difficult, but somehow he did hold out until she spoke.

"I think so," she said softly, practically a whisper, though full of so much love. "But why don't you show me, one more time?"

Her hands reached upwards at that, gently resting on the sides of his cowl. Batman knew she meant to lift it, to take a glimpse of his true face before what was to come next. In his heart he deeply wanted to let her. He wanted to give her everything she could ever want, that included. But his head still ruled. He was still the Batman. He would never be able to open up completely and openly to her as another man might. He would always have his mission, his paranoia, his needs, his _issues_. He would never convince _himself _that he was worthy of her. But he had somehow convinced her that he was, Bat and all, and that was what was important. He knew that she would be able to accept it, especially since he was prepared to show her all just as soon as they weren't on an open rooftop.

His hands reached up, clasping onto her bracelets before she could push the cowl back. He didn't physically stop her, but she got the message easily enough. For now the cowl would have to stay on. Thankfully, she didn't seem to mind too much. Thankfully, she was still perfect. She only waited a second longer, allowing him to see her smile of acceptance, of understanding.

And then she kissed him. A kiss with even more passion than the one seen around the world.

And one, of course, that Batman returned in full.

* * *

><p>They had made it. They were going to make it. The last hurdle had just been leaped, the last obstacle between a fanciful idea and a very real one. A long time had passed since the initial steps had been taken on this winding road, but that first path had finally finished, and they had made it to the right end. Now a whole host of new paths lay before them, and each one of them would be very enjoyable to explore. The future, while never seeming bleak to her, had suddenly gotten a whole lot brighter. However, right now it was the present that she was very definitely interested in.<p>

She was starting to get used to kissing, but it wasn't making any of the experiences any less enjoyable. In fact, each time seemed to be even better than the last. Each time, she never wanted it to end. And from what she could tell, from the passion with which he returned the action, Bruce didn't want it too either. Unfortunately, the world always got in the way.

Throughout most of the kiss, she had kept her eyes closed, too busy being lost in emotion. She didn't know why she opened her eyes in that moment. It wasn't as if she could gaze into his eyes through that cowl of his, nor was there anything else in the mask that she needed to see right then. But open her eyes she did, right in time to spot as the distant light suddenly illuminated the Gotham night sky. She had heard all about this before so she knew what it meant, even though this was the first time she had actually seen it. It meant that it was time for this moment to end. However, while she couldn't pretend that she wasn't disappointed, she wasn't saddened. Bruce wouldn't be who he was if it wasn't for this. And besides, there would be plenty of time later to pick up where they left off.

It took great force and self control, but Diana eventually broke away. She stayed close, but the kiss was done. For a brief moment Batman stared at her, as if concerned something might be wrong. Then his detective mind kicked back in all over again, and he saw it too. The Batsignal had been lit. Gotham needed him again.

"I'm sorry, Princess," Batman spoke softly, breaking away from her the rest of the way. "But you said yourself that nothing needs to change. Duty calls."

"Do you want some help?" Wonder Woman knew the answer, but she had to ask it anyway, even as Batman was already moving off towards the ledge, ready to swing away into action. Sure enough, without even turning back to her, Batman gave the predictable answer.

"The rules in Gotham haven't changed either, Princess. This is still my city, and it has to be healed _my _way. Besides, you're helping me plenty as things are."

A fresh grin erupted on Diana's face in reflex at that last sentence. She could tell that the additional "_just by being you, and by being with me_" was there too, even if it wasn't spoken. Bruce would always be Bruce. He would never open up as any other man might. But she wouldn't have it any other way.

However, just before he leapt into action, Batman had a final bit to say.

"One last thing, Princess. Since I have to go, I know you'll be heading back up to the League now instead of staying here. But you have to make sure you leave the Watchtower at precisely nineteen hundred hours tomorrow night. And don't be late."

Diana's smile turned virtually into a scowl in that second. Despite it all, no man bossed her around like that. He'd better have a good reason. "And why, may I ask, should I do that?"

Batman, though, actually turned back from the ledge to flash her a grin. "Remember what I told you in the cloud, Princess. I'm _going _to do this right. I owe you that. Keep your schedule for tomorrow clear. Be at the Manor tomorrow night, and bring your dancing shoes."

The scowl was instantly gone. The smile was definitely back. She certainly did remember what he has said in the cloud. She remembered seeing what he had originally planned for their first proper date too. Even the most fierce hearted of individuals would have found what Bruce had planned then very sweet. No doubt he had changed his plans since the surprise had been spoiled, but knowing him as she did Diana was certain that this new plan of his would be just as good as the last one, if not better. She was suddenly wishing it was tomorrow night already. She was certainly no longer angry at him for bossing her around. Oh yes. She was going to enjoy this.

"In that case, don't you worry. I'll be there," Wonder Woman finally answered him, a rather flirtatious tone now filling her voice. She could certainly see him picking up on that, even if he did try to hide it. That made her smile grow broader. She was _definitely _going to enjoy this. _All_ of it.

But first there was the mission. The Batsignal was still shining bright, and it couldn't be ignored any longer. Bruce was needed out there, to do what only he really could. Yet Diana didn't wish him luck. She knew she didn't have to. He had enough skill and courage not to need luck. That was why she took a different tack instead. "Good hunting out there, my _Prince_."

Now it was Batman's time to show a smile again, though typically his was far less broad. The way that Diana had just turned his nickname for her back on him, the affection that that act displayed; he clearly enjoyed it – even if he almost certainly wouldn't allow it to stick. Still, Diana was glad to see that smile. She knew that as soon as Bruce left that rooftop his jaw would set again, his face turning stern. The outward image of the Batman would firmly take over, the man she had managed to unlock underneath hiding away again. The _real _him. The _him_ that she had made her own.

But the time had come. It was time for Bruce to go answer that call. Standing tall, he had his grapple in his hand, ready to fire. He only paused long enough for four departing words before he disappeared into the darkness of the Gotham night.

"See you soon, Princess."

And with that he leapt away, out into the abyss. Wonder Woman watched him go as much as she could, her honed eyes able to follow him for a while before he was lost from view. So many times she had found herself fascinated with what that man could do, the skill, the grace and the determination, especially for one who was supposedly _only _human. However, Wonder Woman was hardly the first to note that that may actually be his greatest strength, that humanity. It was certainly a part of what truly drew her to him, the dedication and spirit that it needed every day for Bruce to become Batman. _Her _Batman.

Oh yes, she was certainly very happy right now. In fact, even as she watched Batman swing away on his grapple, she allowed herself to start imaging the future, all sorts of futures, the kind of futures that she wouldn't normally stop to consider if it wasn't for Bruce. And there were plenty of such futures, nearly countless of them even. Discovering which path they would end up taking was certainly going to be memorable, and not to be missed. To say that she was looking forward to living it would have been the understatement of a lifetime, even an immortal one. She knew that the public of Man's World had been talking of her and Batman since the cloud incident, and she knew that plenty of very smart people were very taken with the idea, even if they had been convinced that that was all it was. Well Wonder Woman herself was _definitely _taken with it, and for her it was now very much more than just an idea. Now it was real. After years without even knowing the truth of their hearts, and then months waiting for it, the connection between her and Bruce was now _very _real.

But Batman wasn't the only one with a job to do in the present. Wonder Woman would be needed somewhere too. No matter how much she wanted to stand on that rooftop reflecting and dreaming until the next night, she wasn't that selfish. With Bruce now disappeared from sight, it was time for her to go back to the Justice League.

"Wonder Woman to Watchtower," she spoke as she activated her comm, still staring out across the skies at the spot Batman had been when he had disappeared from view. "I think I've been away for long enough. If you're ready for me, I'm ready to be brought back up there."

"Diana!" Mr. Terrific's voice suddenly rang through her earpiece comm. "It's good to hear your voice again, and I'd be delighted to beam you up. But if you say you're ready, there's a situation out in Africa. I've just sent Superman to help out, but I'm sure some Amazon aide wouldn't go amiss either. And then we can catch up when you're done."

As Mr. Terrific spoke, Wonder Woman's eyes had drifted back up to stare at the Batsignal still lighting up the Gotham night sky. It was still making her smile, still making her happy. In that moment, she was practically convinced that she could feel Batman feeling the exact same way about her, almost like the link between them was still there. Instead, she was sure it was just a matter of the empathy between them.

The love.

It was a smile that she was sure would not be leaving her face until she was in the heat of the action again, even though it sounded like that wouldn't be far away. It was time for Wonder Woman to get back into the action too. She had meant it when she had told Bruce that nothing between them need change. She would always be Wonder Woman.

She just happened to be in love with Bruce at the same time.

"All right, Mr. Terrific," she spoke into her comm once again, signalling her readiness to face whatever threat was out there, waiting for her to help stop it. "I'm always ready to help. I'm sure Superman can fill me in when I get there. Energise."

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN:**_

_**And there you are. After only about 300,000 words they're finally properly together. **__**Bats and Wondy, as it was always going to be. **__**Just so easy and natural to write those two together, and it always will be. If only those with actual control over them would be permitted to do so...**_

_**Anyways, time for you guys to have your say again! Been a long old ride getting here. Just the epilogue to go now though and another story comes to a close. News on what comes next to follow, but you should be able to guess that, however much of it I actually do, the characters are only at the beginning of a far longer journey. I can get more stories out of these characters than I could ever write out of pure fandom. Hopefully that's good news to you all for the future. **_

_**In the meantime, feel free the revel in the present. And let me know what you think about it all!**_


	35. Epilogue: A Sight for Sore Eyes

**Epilogue: A Sight for Sore Eyes**

"And so, ladies and gentleman, the date for the court martial of General Felix Mulligan has been set. Reports indicate that this initial trial will focus on his actions in Metropolis, particularly his forceful orders to launch the missile into the cloud despite being assured that the Justice League had a better way of handling things, a way that was working. That reckless act could have cost many lives, although reports increasingly suggest that this is something General Mulligan should be used to. Military police are still investigating the stories about the Carnicero del rio, gathering up facts and evidence before deciding whether to push ahead and charge the General with the deaths that have caused such public outcry. All in all, this is shaping up to be one tough week for a man who had prided himself on being an American hero.

"In other news and on a thankfully lighter note, the world got its first proper viewing of Wonder Woman today since the end of the cloud's attack, and the incident seen by just about everyone on the planet. She, Superman and other members of the Justice League were involved in a battle against a new bunch of rogues to the scene, and despite some resistance they were able to succeed and restore order once again. In these last days we had been hearing that the mental drain she went through during the cloud assault had caused her temporary leave of absence, but that recovery process seems to have come to an end. And for all of those gossip lovers out there, there was no sign of the Batman at her side. Instead he seems to be sticking to his crusade in Gotham City. Of course, this neither confirms nor denies the official position that that kiss between them shown to us by the cloud was merely a side effect of their then entwined mental state, but following the public reaction it sure would have been nice to see them side by side in action once again. Summer?"

The news anchor handed back to his compatriot there as they moved on to the next piece of the days events, but he had stopped listening at that point. He had missed out on plenty these last few weeks. You just couldn't get any decent staff anywhere these days. The boys and girls around there were the shoddiest of the lot. Weeks he had spent in solitary confinement after the latest little prank he had pulled. _Weeks_. As if that would work. As if that would change anything. Far better people than they had tried. All they wound up doing was boring him. That tiny cell they had him locked in just wasn't any _fun_.

And he had missed out on the big news of the decade. Until now. They had finally let him loose again, thanks to his 'good behaviour' in solitary. Truth be told he was just playing ball, waiting for the timing to be right for his next little scheme. Now he had seen this, he was already plotting it silently in his head.

Across the way, ol' Pammy moved as if to change the channel, but he snatched a hand out to stop her until the image on the screen changed. Poison Ivy scowled at him until he let go of her wrist, snatching her hand back as if to get away from him. She wouldn't be the first person to react in that way. However, he hardly noticed her.

The laughter was already building up in him as that image became frozen in his minds eye, the image of two of the core members of the Justice League locked in such a public personal moment. That image brought such a smile to his face. He didn't care what caused it, or how the newscaster tried to shrug it off. He _knew_. No one knew the Bat like he did. He knew his nemesis wouldn't be caught with his pants down by a _cloud. _He knew that what he was seeing was genuine. And boy did it open up some doors. Boy, was this going to be funny. Oh yes, he was definitely starting to plan for his greatest joke yet. He was even already starting to imagine the endgame, and how delightful it would be. He was even starting to feel that joy already, so much so that he couldn't keep it bottled up inside, regardless of who else was around. It came tumbling out of him in rhyme.

"Bats and Wondy sitting in a tree. Don't know they're being watched by _me!_"

And then the maniacal laughter burst forth, a laughter that could cast fear into anyone should they hear it up close. Heck, half the people in the TV room had already up and left, but he merely kept laughing, and planning his ultimate gag. Bats and his new squeeze would one day soon be getting a congrats on they're bonding that they'd never forget.

All delivered free of charge, courtesy of the Joker.

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN:**_

**_And, at long last, it is done. This is the end. _**"Justice League: Above and Beyond" **_is a finished story. Hope you enjoyed it!_**

**_I promised a sneak peak at what's to come. Well here it is. It's time to send in the Clown. When the full sequel comes out, I intend to be _fully _unleashing Gotham on the Justice League. It might be relatively dark, but way back at the start of this journey, one thing that I always wanted to do was show just how dangerous the villains of Gotham can be, to _everyone_. The idea a lot of people bandy about that a hero with powers could take them down easy has always _really _annoyed me. In letting loose the likes of the Joker, I intend to prove how very wrong such a sentiment truly is. After all, a superhero tal**_e_** that was all about powers and not at all about the humanity underneath (even if its an alien) would just bore the **** out of me. So keep your eyes open friends._**_ "_Justice League: Shadows in the Dark" _**is coming. I know how it starts, I know how it ends. I just have to write the bugger. But it** _is** _coming. It's just a matter of when._**

_**On a similar note, there were no takers for the interim "handed over" stories idea I proposed several chapters back. I'm a hundred percent fine with that as I get that everyone who wants to write something wants to do their own thing - I would if roles were reversed. However, despite saying the opposite before, I've wound up being unable to just sit back and let two of these smaller tales live on plotted out but not done. Therefore, before the full blown sequel comes out, there will almost certainly be two stories published on here set in the time gap between** _Above and Beyond _**and** _Shadows in the Dark**_. Without giving any plot points away, Batman and Wonder Woman will both be the stars, albeit in two separate yet concurrent stories (published separately but set at the same time). They'll be shorter than this beast, the original _**"Shroud of Fear"**_ and the coming main sequel, but everything is relative, and they certainly won't be lacking in plot._ **"Justice League: War and Peace" _**and** _"Justice League: Bloodlines" **_will be their names, so watch out for those too, particularly as I may have to work in some crossover between them to get a certain pair of characters interacting..._**

**_Before I go away, I feel I also need to stress that my fellow fans out there keep the faith. This is something important to me that's been bugging me for quite a while. Even though I only read the true classic trade collections, most of which were done many years ago, I'm well aware that there's plenty of dissatisfaction for a wide array of the currently published DC comic books. I can't really comment on that, but I think its important not to let that dissatisfaction spread to the upcoming film series. I'm seeing plenty of negativity towards those films on 'tinternet before the first truly "shared universe" one is finished, which I think is frankly ridiculous, especially as most of the complaints I see are based on pure speculation or simply plain nonsensical points. Besides which, there is far too much buying in to the idea that the Marvel way of doing superhero movies is the only way to do it right. Personally, I feel the Marvel Cinematic Universe is one of the most overrated franchises going, as bar the Avengers itself I have been so disappointed with all of them that I've seen (which doesn't include the latest two, so no spoilers in any return comments as I will give them a chance), and I love superhero stuff. Far too much attempt to turn them into sitcoms too often, poor villains and/or **_poor, dull_** plots. There is a place for films like that, and that is the Marvel way, and I do get why some people like that even if I don't. But its also important that the DC universe does its own thing. DC have always been more adult, while Marvel's more for the teenage/twenty somethings. That's why DC films shouldn't be a gag a minute, should be darker, should have good villains to truly test the heroes, should take more risks, shouldn't be afraid to show that in the realm of superheroes and such epic fights many people will almost certainly get hurt and bad things will happen - you can't always save everyone. Long story short, my opinion is that Man of Steel is one of the best superhero films that weren't directed by Christopher Nolan and gets far too harsh a treatment - and I really hated Superman until I watched that film. I'll defend it to the hilt as most complaints about it can be argued away. I admit, the odd bit of Alfred style dry wit to slightly lighten the moment at times wouldn't have been amiss, but you can't always have everything. _**

**_So keep the faith people! Trust that Batman v Superman can pull it off and give us the DC film universe we deserve. If at the end of the day its released and is crap, complain then. Just don't give up on it before its even begun. After all, Warner Bros. aren't stupid enough to ditch Amy Adams now, not when people love seeing her opposite Cavill. As long as she's there, the biggest obstacle for even the most minor BatWondy scenes is very firmly out the way with Supes taken. These films won't be hitting us with the most ridiculous and boring idea comic books have ever seen. I have great hope for what's to come. Everything I see and know about this film tells me that it's at least worth a very firm chance. So let's all give at one, and not write it off and slag it off well over a year before its released and before a trailer's even come out. We owe that to the characters if nothing else._**

**_After that rant, just a few more things to say. First up and from a legal point of view, I reiterate the declaration regarding how I don't have ownership of any of the pre-existing characters or settings (or any other trademarked element) used in this story._**

**_Been aware of the website batmanwonderwoman dot com for a while now, and now that this story's finished I'll probably have to put it on there with the rest of the series so far. Held off in order to keep my reviews etc. in one place while this was still a work in progress, but there's no more need for that now. It's a great place to find all manner of fanfics about the pair, as well as for fellow fans to gather and chat. If you haven't done already, I suggest a lot of you go check it out._**

**_Comments on what I've been saying here are more than welcome, as are discussions if they're wanted. You can do it via the reviews or a PM. Just don't let it be heated. We're all friends here._**

**_Now its time for me to put up my customary request for reviews. Both for the epilogue and for the story overall. Constructive points are just your own opinions. I'll take 'em all._**

**_And of course, a massive thank you to all those who have reviewed, favourited or followed up til now and in all the time to come. If it weren't for you guys, I wouldn't be posting on here. I might still end up writing it as I love the characters and the story potential, but the whole reason of posting it is for you guys to read it and to hear back from you. So thank you all once again for calling shotgun on this epic ride._**

**_An epic ride that's now done. Can't say when I'll be posting again, but it will be in the next few months, with a guarantee of three more fics coming set in this universe of mine. I sincerely hope that's news to your ears, and I hope to see you there having a read again when the time comes!_**

**_Until then, have a Merry Messy Kweznuz (kudos if you get that) friends! And thanks once again!_**


End file.
